Miso sake sea bass

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 4 hours 45 minutes; Serves: 6

Mirin	3 tablespoons
Sake	3 tablespoons
Miso paste, white	½ cup
Sugar	1/3 cup
Sea bass	6 4-ounce pieces

1. In a small saucepan over moderate heat, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. 
2. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. 
3. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved 
4. Remove from heat and let cool. 
5. Pat the bass dry with paper towels. Place the fish in a large shallow bowl, add the marinade, and turn to coat. 
6. Cover and refrigerator for 4 hours. 
7. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 
8. Coat a sheet pan with vegetable oil. 
9. Lightly wipe off excess marinade from the fish. 
10. Add the fish to the pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the fish is caramelized and flaky, and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. 

Recipe from Mark Foods LLC.

Shoyu ramen

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 6 hours 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Broth, chicken, low-sodium	8 cups
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried	16
Kombu	30 grams
Bonito flakes	20 grams
Mirin	1 ¼ cups
Soy sauce	1 ¼ cups
Sake	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup
Ginger, sliced	2-inch piece
Scallions, halved	3
Garlic, peeled	3 cloves smashed + 8 cloves sliced
Sugar, brown	2 packed tablespoons
Water	1 ½ cups + 6 cups + 6 cups + 6 cups
Pork belly, skin-on	1 pound
Eggs, cold	4 large
Oil, canola	½ cup
Cayenne	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds	2 teaspoons
Wheat noodles, fresh	4 ounces

Chicken dashi 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a bare simmer; remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and kombu, and let steep for 5 minutes. 
3. Add bonito flakes, and let steep 5 minutes more. 
4. Strain the dashi; reserve solids. 

Tare & chashu 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, bring the mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugars, ginger, scallions, smashed garlic, and 1 ½-cups water to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low. 
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, bring the pork and 6-cups water to a bare simmer; immediately drain, and gently rinse the pork. 
3. Transfer the pork to the pot with the tare, and bring to a simmer. 
4. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. 
5. Let cool 20 minutes, then strain and reserve the tare liquid. 
6. Refrigerate the pork and tare separately. 

Nitamago 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring 6-cups water to a boil. 
2. Prink the bottom of the eggs with a pin. 
3. Gently lower the eggs into the pot with a spoon, and simmer for 6 minutes; drain. 
4. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, and let cool 5 minutes. 
5. Thoroughly and gently crack the eggshells, then return to the ice bath to cool for 10 minutes more. 
6. Carefully peel the eggs, and transfer to a medium bowl. 
7. Pour tare over; weigh down the eggs with the reserved spent kombu to fully immerse in liquid. 
8. Let marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, and up to 12. 

Garlic la-yu 

1. In a small pot over very low heat, simmer the garlic in canola oil, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, stir in the cayenne, then the seeds; let cool. 

Serving 

1. Slice the chashu into 2-inch-wide slices; torch lightly, if desired. 
2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; drain. 
3. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the dashi and mushrooms to a simmer; cook 1 minute. 
4. Transfer the dashi to a serving bowl, then add tare and noodles. 
5. Top with mushrooms, chashu, nitamago, scallion, and a drizzle of la-yu. 

Recipe from Delish magazine by June Xie.

Oven-steamed fish with scallions & ginger

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Scallions, trimmed, chopped; thinly sliced	6 + 2
Ginger, peeled, 2 inches chopped,  1 inch matchstick sliced	3-inch piece
Garlic, thinly sliced	3 cloves
Cod fillets, skinless	4
Soy sauce	3 tablespoons
Mirin rice wine	2 tablespoons
Toasted sesame oil	1 ½ teaspoons
Sugar	1 ½ teaspoons
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Pepper, white, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Oil, vegetable	2 tablespoons
Cilantro leaves	1/3 cup

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F; set a rack in the middle position. 
2. Spread the 6 scallions and two-thirds of the ginger evenly in a 13x9-inch baking pan, then top with the garlic. 
3. Fold an 18x12-inch piece of foil lengthwise to create an 18x6-inch sling; spray lightly with cooking spray. 
4. Place the sling in the pan lengthwise, with extra foil hanging over the ends of the pan. 
5. Arrange the cod on the sling; if the fillets vary in thickness, place thinner fillets in the middle and thicker at the ends. 
6. Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined; pour around the cod. 
7. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake until the fish registers 125°F to 130°F, about 12 to 14 minutes. 
8. Grasping the sling at both ends, carefully transfer the sling with the cod to a deep serving platter. 
9. Position a spatula at one end of the fillets to hold in place, and carefully slide the sling from under the cod. 
10. Strain the cooking liquids through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquids; discard any solids. 
11. Pour the strained liquid over the cod; sprinkle with the thinly sliced scallions. 
12. Heat the oil in a small skillet over high heat until shimmering. 
13. Reduce the heat to low, add the ginger matchsticks, and cook, stirring, until the ginger begins to brown and crisp, about 20 to 30 seconds. 
14. Drizzle the oil and ginger over the cod. 
15. Top with cilantro, and serve. 

Recipe from Yve Fontilea, adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen.

Soba noodles with crispy duck & hot dipping sauce

Active: 50 minutes; Total: 8 hours 50 minutes; Serves: 4

Water	4 cups
Kombu square	3-inch square
Shiitake, dried, rinsed	3 medium
Duck breast	2 6-ounce
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Soy sauce	3/4 cup
Hon mirin	2 tablespoons
Sugar, cane	1 ½ tablespoons
Leek, white & green parts only, cut into 2- x ¼-inch strips	1 medium
Sake	1 tablespoon
Lemon or yazu peel strips, lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips	2
Ginger, peeled, cut into strips	1 ½ inch
Mitsuba or cilantro	Garnish
Serrano chile	Garnish
Soba noodles, cooked

1. Sprinkle duck breasts all over with salt; place on plate, skin side up, on a plate, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours or overnight. 
2. Stir together the water, kombu, and shiitakes in a medium bowl; let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours or overnight. 
3. Remove the kombu and mushrooms; discard the kombu or, if desired, reserve to make another batch of dashi, reserve and slice the mushrooms.
4. Combine the soy sauce, hon mirin, and sugar in a large saucepan. 
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just beings to simmer and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Stir in the dashi, leek, mushrooms, and sake; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
7. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender and the mixture has reduced to about 4 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. 
8. Cover dipping sauce, and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 
9. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. 
10. Place the duck breast, skin sides down, in the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. 
11. Cook, undisturbed, occasionally spooning off drippings from the skillet, until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. 
12. Flip the duck breast; cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 130°F for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes. 
13. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. 
14. To serve, divide the dipping sauce evenly among four bowl. 
15. Cut the duck breasts crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, and add to the bowls 
16. Top evenly with citrus peel and ginger strips; garnish with mitsuba and serrano. 
17. Serve immediately with cold soba noodles. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2021.

Shrimp with green banana cocktail sauce

Pickle
Daikon, peeled, very thinly sliced	1 pound
Mirin cooking wine	½ cup
Vinegar, rice, unseasoned	½ cup
Peppercorns, Sichuan	5
Star anise	2
Sugar	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher	2 teaspoons
Sauce
Banana, green, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces	1
Ketchup	1 cup
Chili sauce, sweet	½ cup
Horseradish, prepared	3 tablespoons
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Shoyu or other soy sauce	1 tablespoon
Shrimp
Garlic	4 cloves
Lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces	2 stalks
Jalapeño, halved lengthwise	1
Bay leaf	1
Kaffir lime leaf	1
Salt, kosher	3 tablespoons
Allspice, whole	¼ teaspoon
Coriander seeds	¼ teaspoon
Peppercorns, black	¼ teaspoon
Cinnamon	1 stick
Water	8 cups
Shrimp, extra jumbo	2 pounds

Pickle

1. Place the daikon in a heatproof bowl. 
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the mirin, rice vinegar, peppercorns, anise, sugar, and salt to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 
3. Pour the hot brine over the daikon, let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, combine the banana, ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, juice, and soy sauce, and cook over moderately low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes; let cool slightly. 
2. Transfer to a blender, and puree until smooth. 
3. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. 

Shrimp

1. Prepare an ice bath. 
2. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic, lemongrass, jalapeño, bay leaf, kaffir leaf, salt, and spices with the water, and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low, add the shrimp, and simmer until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Drain and transfer the shrimp to the ice bath; let cool completely. 
5. Drain, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tail end intact; discard the shells and aromatics. 

Serve the shrimp with the drained pickled daikon, cocktail sauce, shrimp chips, and fresh basil.

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2017.