SPRING
MIZU NO KENCHIN
(STIR-FRIED AND SIMMERED MIZU)
Preparation Time:
10 Minutes
Cooking Time:
15 Minutes
Serving Size:
4 Servings
Delicious when made into ohitashi (vegetables steeped in a dashi based sauce) or aemono (mixed with dressing), kenchin is the way to go when using mizu. It is a dish for everyone to enjoy the crispy texture of mizu.
HOW TO MAKE:
Wash the mizu under running water, and break into 4cm sections to remove the stringy fibrous outer layer. Breaking the mizu by hand makes it easier to peel away the fibrous strands.
Blanch mizu in boiling water. Once it has turn into a vibrant green colour, stop the heat, remove and cool in iced water.
In a frying pan, heat up some cooking oil. Add blanched mizu, dashi stock, soy sauce and mirin. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Stop the heat and serve.
NOTES
By using dashi stock, you just need to adjust the taste using a little salt.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bundle mizu (elatostema japonica)
Seasonings
1 tablespoon soy sauce
250cc dashi stock
1 teaspoon mirin
Cooking oil (as required)
AKAMIZU
Akamizu (Elatostema umbellatum), one of the many sansai vegetables available in Tsuruoka, is native to Japan, and only grows in the wild in moist, deeply forested wetlands in mountainous areas or near mountain streams where there is a constant flow of clean water. Compared to aomizu, it is more adaptable and can grow in places other than wetlands as long as there is a clean water source. It is red in colour from the root to the stem and is the most delicious part of the plant.
Other ways to prepare:
Blanched and dressed in sesame dressing (goma ae sauce)
Pickled in vinegar walnut sauce (kurumi ae)
Added to miso soup