May 27, 2014

Udo Karaage, etc./ウドの唐揚げなど

As part of supper last night, I made hash browns for the third time, using ten potatoes (almost 2 kg). I had to, because my children love them.
昨日の夕飯には、じゃがいもを10個(2 kg近く)使って、ハッシュポテトを作りました。これで3回目です。子供たちが好きなので、作らざるを得ません。
I had these udo leaves in the fridge.
冷蔵庫にウドの葉っぱを入れていました。
Photo taken after I cut the leaves into large pieces.
ざく切りしてから撮った写真です。

(The other day, we got some nice udo from my wife's brother. My wife made udo kinpira, using the stems, and I had made udo tempura, using most of the stems and leaves. These leaves were leftovers.)

(先日、妻の兄からいいウドをもらいました。妻が茎を使ってウドのきんぴらを作り、私が茎と葉っぱを大半使ってウドの天ぷらを作り、そしてこれはその残りです。)

I first thought I would make kakiage using these leaves, but I changed my mind and decided to make something like udo karaage. I sprinkled some wheat flour.
最初はこの葉っぱでかき揚げを作ろうと思ったのですが、気が変わって、ウドの唐揚げのようなものを作ることにしました。小麦粉を少し振り掛けました。
I mixed them thoroughly. I later added some more flour to achieve a right texture.
よく混ぜました。後でもう少し小麦粉を足し、ちょうどいい硬さにしました。


I then deep-fried them at a low temperature of 160C until crisp.
それから、低温(160C)でカリカリになるまで揚げました。  
More like an appetizer for sake than an okazu for rice. Anyway, they tasted good.
ご飯のおかずと言うより、酒の肴みたいです。ともかく、美味しかったです。

My wife removed aku (harshness) from warabi, given to us from a relative.
妻は、親戚からもらったワラビ(わらび、蕨)の灰汁抜き(あくぬき)をしました。


7 comments:

Fräulein Trude said...

In our region Udo is a species sold as decorative garden plant (laugh). Everytime when I am watering my hostas and day lilies or am taking care of slugs - thanks to you blog - I think: in Japan they just would cook those but for me they are very (too) precious.

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: But you could at least pick up one stem (and leaves) of udo/hostas/day lilies, and use it for cooking, right?

Sissi said...

Is is the warabi from warabi mochi? Is it the plant from which this traditional expensive flour is made???
Looking at your udo and warabi... I feel so ordinary with my mint leaves and lettuce in the fridge :-) .

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: Yes, young shoots of warabi (bracken fern).

To make warabi ko (= flour, powder), warabi roots are used.

The first photo here:
http://www.niji.or.jp/home/toishi/warabi/warabiko.htm
will clarify that.
These elementary school children managed to make only a small amount of warabiko from 560 g of roots. The last photo shows the final product, most of which is impurities.

Here's an interesting video of a workshop for learning how to make warabi ko from warabi roots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTnhe984tp0

Anon said...

I apologize ahead for the unrelated blog comment :)

I was curious to know if you ever discovered Takeda's Drip Method from reading that book or asking Nakagawa?

Also if you have a detailed explanation of Shochiku Method, or if the Shochiku Method is only combo (Matsuya & Takeda).

Thank you!

slaughtrhaus@gmail.com

Hiroyuki said...

Anon: No, I haven't read the book written by Takeda, and Master Nakagawa didn't provide any useful information about Takeda's method in the Shukan Flavor video featuring the Shochiku method.

"Shochiku" is the name that Master Nakagawa gave to his Matsuya and Takeda combination method.

Sissi said...

Thank you, Hiroyuki. I understand now why it's so expensive...