Vol.7 春の野菜を愉しむ

Vol.7 春の野菜を愉しむ

I: Romanesco I shall cut the Romanesco. FIrst, turn it upside down. Flipping it over… If you see any dirt at the stem, trim them off. You can leave these small leaves attached. Another important thing is to bring a pot of water to a boil. We’ll be placing the steamer like this, so prepare for steaming. Put through a knife in the center, continue cutting toward the tip. The fresher the Romanesco, the firmer it will be. So, make sure move a knife gradually. Toward the end, you can gently break it apart. Look at this. The cross section also looks quite interesting, doesn’t it? Now, let’s cut this piece in half again. Make a cut nearly the end, then break it apart. Now, I’ll cut this piece in half again. Once you’ve cut nearly the end, tilt the knife and break it apart. Place the pieces into a bamboo steamer. Move the knife in rocking motion as you cut. Once the core is cut, gently break it apart. This way, you avoid making a mess with small bits of florets. Now, steam them for about 4 to 5 minutes. II: Mayonnaise I shall make mayonnaise now. Many people think of mayonnaise as shop-bought. but homemade mayonnaise is incredibly delicious. Also you can carefully select the ingredients yourself so I highly recommend making it at home. It really is delicious. The ingredients you’ll need are: first, an egg. Just one egg I’m using today. Next, olive oil and vinegar. Today, I’m using wine vinegar
but feel free to use any vinegar you like. And finally, salt. These are the four basic ingredients. Now, Let’s begin. The key tool you need is a blender. When you make mayonnaise by hand, You typically whisk it in a bowl while slowly drizzling in oil. Doing both at the same time by yourself
can be quite challenging. So, I prefer let the blender do the mixing, and all I do is just adding oil—making it much easier. First, crack one egg into the blender. It’s ok whether the yolk breaks. Next, the vinegar. Today, I’m using wine vinegar. It has quite a strong acidity. So it gives the mayonnaise a sharp, refined flavor. You can adjust the amount to your taste. Use about 1 tablespoon for a milder taste, or 2 tablespoons if you prefer it more tangy. Next, the salt — is also according to your taste, If you need to watch your sodium intake, use less. Now, I’ll start blending. Then, I’ll start adding the oil. Today, I’m using olive oil, but you can use any oil you prefer. You can also mix different types of oil. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The blender makes loud noises… I’ve paused it now so you can hear me. What I am doing now is to add the oil gradually I do that while the liquid keep spinning but as it thickens, the spinning will look slow. (*Notice how the liquid is moving inside the blender.) (*The movement inside the blender has started to slow down.) Now that it looks slowed down, the mayonnaise is done. This blender has a lid with a removable window in the center. That makes it very easy to add oil while blending. If your blender have a simple lid, you can cover with aluminum foil. Just cut a piece large enough to cover the top, poke a hole in the center, and use it to prevent splattering while pouring in the oil. This blender, you can just empty from the bottom, so I’ll just do that now, but you can just scoop it out from the top. This one is very handy because you can dismantle it easily, so it is easy to empty. There is a gasket under this blade,
so be sure to clean it thoroughly before using it again next time. Now, let’s prepare the nanohana (rapeseed blossoms). Nanohana often sold in a bag like this. They are packed in tightly, usually with their leaves folded like this. It’s almost a little sad how they’re crammed in. I’ve washed the nanohana. As you can see, the buds are here at the top, and the leaves used to naturally spread out from the stem. But since they are folded, they’re packed in like this. Now, trim off the base of the stems. Place the cut stems downward
into a bowl of water with a strainer inside. Q: Are you cutting them because the base of the stems is tough? No, I’m doing it to help them absorb water. By refreshing the cut ends, the stems will absorb water, and the nanohana will perk up. If you don’t let them revive first,
they won’t taste as good when cooked. Boiling them while still wilted won’t bring out their best flavor. You need to restore them to their original, fresh state,
just like when they were still in the field. This is one of the key steps to making them taste delicious. I recommend doing this first. III: Nanohana (Rapeseed Blossoms) Q. Should the water be cold? Yes, use the coldest water possible.
If it feels a bit warm, add some ice. Then, cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator for a while. So, what happens after this? Let’s take a look. It completely transforms and becomes lively. It turns vibrant and fresh again
—you’ll realize it was originally this big! This is how it should look. Be sure to restore it to this state before cooking. The time required depends on the initial freshness of the nanohana. If it looks very wilted and limp, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If it’s not too bad, a few hours should be enough. Sometimes, it can be ready in about an hour. Now, let’s boil the nanohana. Bring plenty of water to a rolling boil. Add some salt. Now, start boiling the nanohana,
but don’t add too many at once. It’s best to put in just a few at a time
—about three or four stems, placing the stems in first. Let them sit for a moment before gently submerging the tops. Check the tenderness of the stems. Once they’ve softened slightly, take them out. That should be done now. Be quick to transfer them into cold water. Q. What is the purpose of putting them in cold water? It helps preserve their color. Also, if you leave them warm, they’ll become too soft. So, the cold water stops the cooking process at the right texture. Don’t leave them in the water too long. Once they’ve cooled sufficiently, take them out. Then, gently squeeze out the excess water. The color is so vibrant, isn’t it? If you revive the nanohana properly, it makes a huge difference in the color when it’s cooked. So, don’t boil them while they’re still wilted. Now, let me show you how I often enjoy nanohana at home. You’ll need mustard, soy sauce, and olive oil. A common dish is karashi-ae (mustard dressing). You’ve probably heard of “Nanohana no Karashi-Ae”. At our house, we also add olive oil. It makes it taste really delicious. Now, take the beautifully boiled nanohana and squeeze it once more. Mix the soy sauce, mustard, and olive oil in a bowl. Q. Are you using whole-grain mustard?
Yes. This grainy mustard is also organic. It’s made in Hokkaido and is completely organic,
so you can enjoy it with peace of mind. Now, add the soy sauce and olive oil. Give it a little stir. Q. You don’t measure the ingredients?
Not really, I usually go by eye. (*For the recipe, please check the video description.) And now, it’s ready! *(The bamboo steamer is called a “Seiro.”)

最近よく見かけるロマネスコは、カリフラワーの一種。
とがった花蕾の形がフラクタル形態で面白いのですが、
「どうやって食べるの?」と手を出せずにいた人もいるのでは?
シンプルに蒸して、自家製のマヨネーズをつけて食べるのが
だんぜんおすすめです。
マヨネーズは簡単ですので、ぜひ、ご自分で作ってください。
一方、春の野菜の代表のような菜の花は、
辛子あえならぬ、マスタード醤油あえもすごくおいしいです。
調味料の分量は「目分量」と動画の中で言いましたが、
目安としては菜の花8本ぐらいに対して
粒マスタード大さじ1/2、醤油大さじ2/3
オリーブオイル大さじ1/2強ぐらい。
野菜は下ごしらえや切り方に気を配ることで
おいしさに天と地ほどの差がつきます。
それから良質なオイルを使うことも大事。
マヨネーズもマスタードあえも、うちではオリーブオイルで作りますが
お好みのオイルでいいですので、とにかく混じり気のない
シンプルで味の良いものをお使いくださいね。
○私の愛用するオリーブオイルは、イタリア・ウンブリア州の「マルフーガ」社
のもの。詳しくお知りになりたい方は『オリーブオイルがある暮らし』(小学
館)をご覧ください。洋食はもちろん、うちでは和食にも使う、なくてはなら
ないオイルなので、私たちはマルフーガの輸入元で日本総代理店になっていま
す。