Tokyo fish market (vegans avert your eyes)

Back in June I spent a couple of weeks in Japan with a friend. We walked, saw art, shopped and ate. Oh did we eat! The food was amazing, especially taking pot luck in little Izakayas.

In the months since I returned I’ve been mourning these inspiring and remarkably cheap meals. Alas, I’ll just have to return to Japan for another hit!

As I keep getting asked about my trip from those wanting to take their own pilgrimage, it seemed a good idea to take the blog off life support for a couple of posts.

Where to begin? It was all good. 

Fish for breakfast

One destination high on most Tokyo tourist itineraries is visiting the fish market. The lovely old Tsukiji market was due to close this month (November 2016) but according to a reliable site, the proposed relocation to Toyosu has been put on hold indefinitely. But if you’re planning a visit, it’s wise to check the site not only for location but also opening days.

I love food markets and Tsukiji was a winner. Especially for breakfast.

Tsukiji Fish Market tips

1. Forget the tuna auction. Unless tuna and/or auctions are really your thing, there’s no point getting up before dawn to do it. If nothing would thrill you more than watching huge dead creatures being auctioned off in the middle of the night – then you must check out all the information about how to get a spot. Places are limited and like most things in Japan, you have to follow the right procedure to be in with a chance.
2. Public access to the wholesale market starts at 9am, when most of the day’s trade is over. If you leave it even half an hour later, there won’t be much to see.
3. Arrive hungry. If you get there early or after you've looked at the fish, have a traditional market breakfast of beer, sushi and/or sashimi. We lucked on one of the best, in a row of small sushi bars in the Inner Market (see map). It was amazing. We were the only foreigners there and got approving nods when we ordered a longneck at 10am. Don’t confuse this pocket or eateries with the more touristy ones in the Outer market. 



The best sushi and sashimi I've ever eaten (even the prawn head)! Note the fresh wasabi.


4. The market is easy to get to by a couple of different train lines. But even trusty Google Maps was a tad challenging to find. On the first visit the layout of the Inner and Outer markets is a bit challenging.
5. Remember it’s a workplace. Don’t touch the fish, keep out of the way of the traders and be wary of the forklifts and other electric vehicles! The floor is usually wet, so wear appropriate footwear.
6. The Outer market has restaurants, food stalls, kitchenware and ceramics. If your time in Tokyo is limited and can’t spare a day in Asakusa aka kitchentown, buy your goodies here. Though not expensive, they’re priced for the tourist trade.
7. My favourite Outer market stall sold a couple of varieties of dried bonito (which looks and sounds like a chunk of driftwood). Mould is used as part of the drying process for one of the varieties. The stall shaves it fresh, and allow you to taste the melt-in-your-mouth bonito flakes, that will make you never want to buy it in a packet ever again.
   
8. Check the day. The wholesale market is closed on most Wednesday, Sunday and national holidays. Parts of the Outer market might be open but the really amazing sushi in the Inner market is closed.

Don’t miss out. This old market is a gem. Who knows if or when it well move but odds are that it won’t have the charm and stalls that are part of the current location.

artichoke bruschetta

I've been making this topping a lot this summer. 

Take a jar* of artichoke hearts, drain well. In a small food processor, chop the artichokes with a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, the juice of half to one lemon (to taste), a tablespoon or two of some good olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Whiz til blended but before it gets too smooth. You want a bit of texture.

If there's some fresh parsley at hand, finely chop and stir that through or any other herb you take a fancy to.

Dollop on freshly toasted bread. Sure you can first rub it while hot with some olive oil and a clove of garlic, it smells great but it's not entirely necessary.

* A jar or a can? I've made it with both. The more expensive ones in a jar have a better texture than canned artichokes, which tend to be softer/over cooked. However, any port in a storm. Do the best with what you have. It still tastes good as a puree.

Baked fish with potatoes and asparagus

I’ve always been a tad contrary.

As blogging is in its final hour, I’ve got the urge to write again. Each day it seems another blogger from way back when is pulling up stumps. It gets tiring, that nagging voice in the back of your mind, to blog. We all run out of steam eventually. 

I have no desire to share my life story, publish a cookbook or be a photography wizard in this space, I’m just going back to my roots which are simply a food blog as a cook’s journal, my digital scribble of recipes created (and the occasional culinary failure) so I can remember them in future.  No pressure to post on schedule, or at all. I'm only popping back when something is worth reproducing. And bugger the grammar!

On holiday I stumbled upon a simple fish recipe that kept my diminutive New Zealand family happy. I adapted the original source that features salmon (though I eat it when I have no other choice, farmed and flabby Australasian salmon is a disappointing experience) and tweaked cooking times accordingly. It needed some jazzing up so I added olives, garlic and seasoning. Next time I’ll skip the balsamic (as I have done below) and top the finished dish with a capery-salsa verde, which I reckon will give the meal the added zip it needs.

Be my guest and use salmon if that’s the only fish you feel competent cooking, it will hold its shape well and is unlikely to offend. As I was in New Zealand I couldn’t go past the local fresh snapper but most fillets will work. If thin check at 7-8 minutes to see if cooked, otherwise thicker ones may require the full 15.

The original recipe calls for successive ingredients to be tossed together in the pan but I got all Virgo and kept them in neat layers.

Baked snapper with asparagus and potatoes

(Serves 3)

600g small new potatoes, scrubbed (I used Jersey Bennies but if you only have big old spuds, slice into 3 cm chunks)

3 cloves of garlic (skin on)

2 tabs olive oil

1 – 2 bunches of asparagus, woody parts removed

1 punnet cherry (or similar small) tomatoes

3 medium sized fish fillets (I used NZ snapper, which are quite thin but Blue Eye would also work well)

Sea salt

½ cup Kalamata olives (omit if serving with salsa verde)

To serve – lemon wedges or salsa verde (optional) 

Fire up the oven to 220c (fan) and find an oven dish (ceramic or metal) that will fit the potatoes in a single layer. If you don’t like washing up, line it with foil or parchment.

Tip a tablespoon of oil into a plastic bag or bowl and toss the spuds and garlic with a sprinkle of salt. Arrange in a single layer in the dish and bake for 20 minutes. Don’t chuck out the oil or bag just yet – add the asparagus to gently coat.

Remove from oven and give the spuds a good shake to loosen. Add the asparagus in a layer on top. If your tomatoes are a little on the large size, add them now as well. Just scatter around the pan. Cook for a further 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and give the pan another shake. Season the fish and lie on top of the asparagus, throw in some olives (and add the tomatoes now if tiny). Sprinkle the fish with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Bake 10 – 15 minutes until the fish is cooked.

Assemble equal quantities of vegetables and fish on each plate.

Serve as is, or with a wedge of lemon. If you’re in the mood, a spoonful of salsa verde on the fish would give it a gentle kick.

Evolution of the truffle

At this time of year I often make truffles. Something luscious, vegan and packed full of kilojoules is the perfect way to celebrate the solstice.

Over the years the truffles have evolved from a coconut cream based chocolate ball, to an infused coconut oil one. 

The problem with truffles is they’re often frustrating and time consuming to make. The mix needs to be firm but not so cold it shatters, nor so warm it melts just looking at it. Let’s face it – late at night on the solstice eve, constantly walking between the workbench and fridge to rechill the mix between every half dozen truffles gets a tad tiresome. In humid December weather, sitting in a tepid bath with an icy drink (and smouldering companion) would be way more fun.

A couple of months ago I promised to take a sweet to a friends place for dinner. I dithered. I dathered. Until finally I only had a couple of hours to concoct something. The ‘something’ became a cubed version of truffles, simple cut into mouth-sized bites. 

If time permits you can still go down the sensory truffle path and infuse the oil with orange peel, spices or something else equally delicious (chilli anyone?). But the version I ended up creating with walnuts and liqueur worked fine. Lets put it this way; there were no complaints or leftovers.

Because how I conceptualised this recipe and what actually went into it are slightly different - I'm giving two different ingredients lists. I know some of you actually like qualities and others (like me) have a 'look and adapt' approach. Lets keep everyone happy!

The truffle that became a square

Freeform ingredients list

Base
2 parts good quality chocolate

1 part coconut oil (plain or infused)

Pinch of sea salt

Texture and flavour

A handful of walnuts, broken into smallish pieces - and/or nut paste

A generous handful of something fruity with an edge e.g. dried cherries, freeze dried raspberries or orange zest

OR a couple of tsp of a good quality liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Frangelico if you want to extend the nut thing use hazel instead of walnuts. (Note: too much grog might stop it from setting)

A quantified list of ingredients

200 gm 80% good quality chocolate
100 gm coconut oil
100 gm almond butter (make sure it's pure, check the ingredients especially if its a big brand)
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp Grand Marnier

Method

If you’re going to infuse the coconut oil, start this a day or two before. Otherwise the chocolate slice takes a few minutes to put together, plus another hour to chill.

Assemble your ingredients and find an appropriate tin or container. Ideally use a square or rectangular baking tin (nothing with sloping sides or alas, you’ll just have to eat all the trimmings!)  Aim for a size appropriate to the mass of ingredients so that the chocolate concoction comes up to about 3-5 cm high (depending on how small our large you want your squares). Metal is ideal, you don’t need to grease, though you can line with baking paper if desired.

Blitz or chop the chocolate so they’re in even sized pieces. In a double boiler gently heat until half the chocolate is melted.

If your coconut oil is solid, melt over a low heat – it takes a very short time so don’t take your eye off it. I usually let it half melt then turn the heat off.

Combine the chocolate, nut paste (optional) and oil (hopefully they’re still semi solid rather than a liquid but it still works, though the nuts or fruit might drop to the bottom). Mix through the nuts, fruit and/or flavouring of choice.

Refrigerate for about an hour until fully solid (use the freezer if in a hurry). It's a good idea to allow it to come up to room temperature before cutting, to avoid snaps and shards. If necessary, run a warm knife around the edges and cut into bite-sized cubes. Of course if you painstakingly lined the tin, you just have to pull the slab out and cut.

You can pretty up the cubes of chocolatey goodness with a sprinkling of cocoa, icing sugar or rose petals but really, these taste so good they don’t need they don’t need it.

Making, eating, planning

Though semi-retired, this blog is still my cook's journal. A place to remind myself how I cooked something new. It's much easier to search this online repository, than hunt for scraps of paper. 

Notes to self:

Made

Vin de pêche - Zoe visited my little community garden plot and me last month and spied a rather neglected peach tree in the far corner of the block (past where the redback spiders dwelling and whatever makes my skin itch, near the mulberry tree). Vin de pêche! She exclaimed. I did a test batch with half a bottle of leftover, dry French rose. I followed the recipe to the letter, only halving the ingredients.

Result: Strong marzipan flavour (phew! right tree! You say almond. I say marzipan). Maybe my taste buds differ a little from Leibovitz's - I found it a little too sweet, though chilled right down with a load of ice this was less noticeable. Nor did I find it as potent as he and Zoe claim. 

Next batch: less sugar, more brandy. Will try 40 leaves (a bit less marzipan), 2 - 3 tabs sugar, 5 tabs brandy, in a fruity bottle of red.

Serve with a lot of ice. If too strong, douse with soda.

Vegan chocolate rough "cookies" - a variation on carnival cookies utilising 4 very ripe bananas and most of a 250 gm jar of 'hazelnut chocolate spread' (a very healthy organic, dairy-free alternative to Nutella and about 4 x the price - fortunately it was at use by date at the local coop so bought at wholesale price). Hacked the recipe by adding a couple of decent handfuls of shredded coconut instead of nuts (plenty of hazelnuts in the spread) and a heaped teaspoon of mixed spice. I had the remains of a block of 85% dark chocolate so whizzed them into chunks. With the added banana and the chocolate spread it was a wetter batch than usual so used closed to double the usual amount of oats, semi chopped. Taste fab.

Eating

Nori butter at Bannisters - I must work out to make this! I'm guessing toasted nori, blitzed to a powder and combined with good quality butter but will consult Dr Google before attempting. It's up there with the miso butter. I'd eat flavoured butter all day if my body could tolerate it!

Who knew Rick Stein has an Australian restaurant, in an unlikely location over three hours drive from Sydney? It's coastal but not on the beach, in a hotel/motel complex (calling it a resort would be going too far). Fortunately I was having a great weekend out of town with friends, just 20 minutes down the road. I think we've found our new Christmas tradition - the festive lunch you'd like to have if you didn't have to be with your family on the day. 

Food was delightful, relatively simple but the stunner was really fresh, good quality produce. The menu (except sides) is exclusively seafood. And at a premium price. The setting is lovely. The staff do their best. Don't think a city restaurant of this calibre would put someone on the floor with such an extensive skin condition but as she said in response to our "see you next year" - "Yeah I'll probably be here. There aren't many jobs down here" in a despondent voice. She was a good and attentive waiter nonetheless.

I ate: paprika dusted Kiama prawns (a special on the day), stupendously fresh marlin/swordfish/snapper/salmon sashimi, shoestring fries (not my choice but very more-ish) and Stein's signature Blue Eye Madras tomato and tamarind based curry. A lunch to remember with my wonderful Sydney friends. 

Planning

I'm back on Christmas duty with my dilutive New Zealand family. How to make breakfast/lunch/dinner for three adults remotely interesting? Suggestions please. On the upside - for the first time since the birth of the internet - there will be Wi-Fi at home! At least that's got the entertainment sorted.Any fish/veg friendly, simple festive food ideas? Things are a little limited over there, I'm so used to an abundance of fresh fruit and veg here I could outsource the entire day from the fish market, Marrickville market and the likes. Wellington, despite the holy grail of Moore Wilsons (not looking forward to the trolley crush there next week), I'm working in a limited kitchen with none of the basics I'm used to (including a sharp knife and a gas stovetop!).When I get back from the homeland - I know that Santa is bringing me a fermenting crock! The new year will be kimchi/sauerkraut and pickle central. Let me know if you have a dairy-free ferment fave to share.

I hope you have a good one and that 2016 is an inspiring year full of delicious experiences.