Dashi

Katsudon turned out to be such a hit that I made it again. By that time, I had noticed and bought some kombu (dried kelp) at the Asian grocery, and started looking at dashi recipes. I ended up following Alton Brown's method, which worked very well. As such, I will focus on the ingredients and general usage in this post and simply refer the reader to AB for the nuts and bolts. I roughly halved his recipe.

Kombu sheet and katsuobushi flakes

As it turns out, there are only a two ingredients for dashi: kombu and katsuobushi. My investigations turned up that there are two kinds of kombu: lighter, younger kombu for eating and firm, dark, aged kombu for making dashi. This second kind of kombu is usually labeled as "dashi kombu" and comes in large sheets, whereas the kombu for eating comes in smaller strips.

The other ingredient is katsuobushi, which is dried flakes of smoked skipjack tuna. The skipjack tuna is a popular fish in Japan, often used for sushi. The flakes have a strong aroma that reminds me of smoked salmon. Be aware that katsuobushi is often labeled as "bonito flakes," despite the fact that bonito is a different, though similar fish. 

I was able to find both ingredients in the Japanese section of the Asian grocery store. Actually making the dashi is very simple. You will also need some cheesecloth to strain out the katsuobushi. The end result is a gentle and light broth that can be used for many things, not just katsudon. Dashi also forms the basis for miso soup. I used it to make a quick and delicious noodle soup. I mixed the dashi with a little sriracha, hoisin sauce, chopped green onion, cilantro, and napa cabbage, then poured this over boiled Chinese egg noodles and fishballs. A bit of a cultural mashup, but quite delicious nonetheless. 

Crab Salad

Crab salad is, for me, almost the definition of a comfort food: simple, delicious, and tied to memory. When I was a kid, it showed up in the fridge only as an occasional treat, but when it did, I loved it. I don't really know the origin of crab salad, but it seems to be part of the greater world of mayonnaise-based salads that are Midwestern deli staples. The seafood-mayo-celery combination is also a common one in other places, from New England's lobster salad rolls to mom's salmon salad sandwiches (another childhood favorite, to be sure). Crab salad is great as a snack on crackers or as a side dish for your summer grilling escapades. 

While one could certainly make a nice crab salad using real crab meat, that is not the point of this recipe. Imitation crab is actually made from pulverized fish parts, which makes it a close relative of Chinese fish balls (another old favorite of mine). This recipe is based on various deli crab salads I have eaten, as well as recipes from the internet. My spin on the recipe is to use some fresh herbs from the garden, which is always a pleasure.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb imitation crab
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 Tbs chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 large lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Roughly chop the imitation crab. Mine came pre-cut into half inch thick coins, which I cut in half. If yours is in "leg" form, you have a bit more work to do. Next, separate out the layers of each piece. This is time consuming, but worth it for the right texture.

Combine the crab, celery, chives, parsley, and mayo in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the half lemon into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill overnight. Serve with crackers.

Katsudon

Although I don't cook a lot of Japanese food (today's is only the second on the blog), I have long been a fan. In particular, I have a real soft spot for tonkatsu -- breaded and fried pork cutlets. Belonging to the same family of dishes as Wiener schnitzel, tonkatsu is a true food of my childhood. Tonkatsu is very good on its own with a drizzle of sauce, sliced cabbage, and rice. However, we're taking it a step further today. Katsudon is a type of donburi, a Japanese word which apparently simply translates as "bowl." As the name suggests, donburi is a very broad category of dishes. What unifies them is the basic construction of a bowl of rice topped with meat or fish and some kind of sauce. If you make a lot of tonkatsu to eat in the traditional way, making katsudon the next day is a fun and tasty way to transform it into something new.

The inevitable comparison between tonkatsu and schnitzel is certainly worth a quick discussion. The main difference, in my mind, is that katsu is not pounded. Schnitzel simply must be ultra-thin, but katsu should have more body to bite into. I also use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs. Katsudon takes variations well. The pictured one was made with 3 eggs, but if you like more eggs, add another. If you like it saucier, use more. I also recently had katsudon in a restaurant, and they included carrots and zucchini, which was a surprising and tasty addition. 

I make one departure from the traditional preparation, for practical reasons. Most katsudon recipes call for dashi as the basis of the sauce. Dashi is a Japanese soup broth made from seaweed. As one might expect, I do not typically have seaweed laying around the house, and chicken stock works just fine. Instant powdered dashi does exist, and I will be on the lookout for this in the future.

Ingredients

Tonkatsu

• 3 pieces thinly sliced, boneless pork loin
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• 1 egg
• Panko
• Vegetable oil for frying

Everything else

• 1 onion
• 2/3 cup chicken stock (or dashi, if available)
• 1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3-4 eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Steamed rice

Instructions

Start by preparing the tonkatsu and rice. These can be done ahead of time, if desired. The basic technique is almost identical to Wiener schnitzel, but the pork does not need to be pounded. Preheat oil in a saute pan on medium-high. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork. Next, pour out some flour on a plate and dredge the pork. Beat the egg and dip the tonkatsu, making sure it is well coated. Finally, pour some panko on a plate and press the pork in, coating both sides. Fry the pork until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Set aside to cool. Once cooled a bit, slice the katsu into half-inch wide strips.

Pour out most of the oil, leaving enough to saute the onions. Prepare all the remaining ingredients: Slice the onion into strips. Mix together the stock, soy sauce, and sugar. Beat the remaining eggs.

Saute the onion on medium-high until softened and lightly browned. Mix together the stock, soy sauce, and sugar and add to the pan. Add the sliced katsu and pour in the eggs. Stir together and cover the pan. Cook until eggs are done. 

Donburi is served in large bowls. Put a layer of rice in each bowl and top with the katsu and sauce. This recipe will comfortably feed two.