Kimchi bubble and squeak

“キムチ入りバブル＆スクイーク”

The leftovers of our Christmas dinner turned into zingy Kimchi bubble and squeak.

This dish is inspired by OZONE roastery’s Green Brekkie, one of my favourite cafés in my neighbourhood—hot and sour, herbaceous freshness work well when you start to crave something different.

“キムチ入りバブル＆スクイーク”

クリスマスディナーの残りは、近所のお気に入りのカフェOZONE roasteryで食べた朝食メニューをヒントにキムチを加えたバブルスクイークに。

バブルスクイークはローストディナーで余ったお肉、野菜をまとめて焼いた料理です。クリスマス料理に飽きてきた時に、辛さと酸味、ハーブのフレッシュさが丁度いい。

Ingredients (serves 2)

Roast dinner leftovers like potatoes, sprouts, kale, carrots, etc.

Kimchi to taste

Olive oil 2tbsp

For Yoghurt sauce

Garlic 1/4tsp(chopped)

Natural yoghurt or Greek 3tbsp

Dill 1tbsp(chopped)

Mint 1tbsp(chopped)

Rocket 1tbsp(chopped)

More herbs for garnish

1. Combine the ingredients of the yoghurt sauce. If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a little bit of water. Season to taste.

2. Squash the potato in a bowl and mix the remaining leftover roast vegetable and kimchi’s pickling liquid. Spread the mixed vegetable over a heated pan with the olive oil and cook over a medium heat. Try not to touch it until the potato crispens up. Turn them around to crispen both sides. Add the kimchi leaves at the end to retain their piquant taste.

3. Plate it with yoghurt sauce and more herbs.

Breaded sardines with green salsa

“鰯のフライとグリーンサルサ”

Fresh sardines are so delicious, loaded with nutrition and easy on the pocket, they are hard not to love.

Once you get used to it, sardines are also the easiest fish to prepare. Most of the process can be done by hand without a knife. (Of course, if you are not keen, you can ask your fishmonger to do it for you. )

Enjoy crispy crumbed sardine served with herbaceous salsa.

Ingredients (for 2)

Sardine 5

Flour as needed

Egg 1

Panko as needed

Olive oil for frying as needed

For Green salsa

Rocket 2 handful

Parsley 1 handful

Garlic 1 clove

Chilli flakes a pinch

Lemon juice ½

Extra virgin olive oil 2tbsp

Capers 1tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blitz all the ingredients for salsa. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 or less tablespoon of hot water and set aside to serve.

2. Prepare the fish. Scale them first and chop heads off. Remove the guts, bones and fins. Rinse them lightly and pat dry with kitchen paper.

3. Prepare 3 separate plates for flour, beaten egg and panko. Season the fresh side of the fish with salt and pepper and coat with the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip into the egg and finally into the panko.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan for shallow frying. Fry the fish, skin side up over a medium to high heat. Pour hot oil over the skin a couple of times with a spoon. Take out when the breadcrumbs get golden and crispy and transfer onto kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

5. Serve with sauce while the sardines are hot and crispy.

“鰯のフライとグリーンサルサ”

材料　2人分

イワシ　5匹

小麦粉　適量

卵　１

パン粉　適量

揚げ油、オリーブオイル　　適量

グリーンサルサ

ルッコラ　二握り

パセリ　一握り

ニンニク　１片

チリパウダー　一つまみ

レモン　半分(しぼり汁)

エキストラバージン オリーブオイル　大さじ２

ケイパー　大さじ１

塩胡椒

1. サルサの材料をフードプロセッサーにかける。お湯を少量加えて濃さを調整する。

2. イワシは鱗と頭を取り、内臓、背骨、ヒレを取り除く。軽く洗い、キッチンペーパーで水気をとる。

3. 小麦粉、溶き卵、パン粉がそれぞれ別々に入った３つの皿を用意する。魚は塩胡椒で味付けし、身の部分だけ小麦粉、卵、パン粉の順で衣をつける。

4. オリーブオイルを深さ１cmほどフライパンにひき熱する。皮目を上にして中〜強火で揚げる。皮目に数回熱い油をスプーンでかける。パン粉がキツネ色になりカラッとしたら取り出して油をきる。

5. 魚が熱くカリッとしているうちにサルサと一緒に提供する。

Spring celebration with wildflowers, Gorse Chirashi zushi and wild garlic tempura

“野花のちらし寿司と天ぷら”

At my home in Japan, spring starts with a feast; colourful Chirashi-zushi to celebrate the girl’s day and tempura of wild plants arrived by express delivery from my grandparents in Fukushima. I recreated using local ingredients; wild plants from East London!

Chirashi-zushi means "scattered sushi"; various ingredients are scattered on top of the spread sushi rice. It is a popular dish for any special occasion because you can decorate it with different ingredients to make it look festive.

I flavoured the sushi rice with fried tofu simmered in sweet soy sauce, fresh dill, and scattered petals of edible wildflowers as the finishing touches of spring colours. Petals of gorse taste like peas, and ground ivy flowers have a mild minty note.

Tempura is made with a wild garlic flower, asparagus, and carrots.

“野花のちらし寿司と天ぷら”

日本での春のご馳走と言えばひな祭りのチラシ寿司と福島の祖父母から送られてくる山菜の天ぷらでした。そんな郷愁にかられて出来たこの日の料理。

チラシ寿司は甘辛く煮たあぶらげにディルの爽やかな香りを加え、食用できる野花を散らして春らしい彩を添えました。天ぷらの食材は旬のワイルドガーリックの花、アスパラ、そして人参のかき揚げにしました。

Ingredients (for 2)

Rice 200g (preferably Japanese rice. sub risotto or pudding rice )

Aburaage, Japanese fried tofu 1sheet/20g

Mirin 1tbsp

Sugar 1/2tbsp

Soy sauce 1tbsp

Grounded white sesame seed 1/2tsp

Dills 1tbsp(chopped )

For Sushi vinegar

Rice vinegar 2tbsp

Sugar 1/2 tbsp

Salt a pinch

1. Rinse the rice until the water becomes clear. Add 230ml of water and let the rice absorb the water for 30 minutes before cooking. Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and keep it covered with a lid.

2. Add the fried tofu, mirin, sugar and soy sauce in a saucepan and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.

3. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and let it cool down. Pour the combined sushi vinegar, sesame seeds and dills over the rice and fold it in a cutting motion. When the rice is cooled, decorate it with toppings you like. I recommend something colourful for a festive finish but not something watery as the rice soaks the moisture.