Japanese Cookery Class

We really hope you enjoyed your class at Food Sorcery. If you have any questions for chef please do ask and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Beef fillet tataki with onion ponzu and garlic crisps

Tataki is a preparation method whereby red meat, fish or even tofu is seasoned, seared at a scorching temperature and rapidly cooled down to leave the centre as rare or untouched as possible – for this reason you should use the best quality meat or fish you can afford.

Ingredients – serves 2

Beef fillet tataki

100g of beef fillet, trimmed
1 dash of grapeseed oil, or another neutral flavoured oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Ponzu sauce

10ml of yuzu juice
25ml of soy sauce
50ml of rice vinegar

Onion ponzu salsa

1 white onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp garlic purée
40ml of grapeseed oil

Garlic crisps

3 garlic cloves
200ml of milk
500ml of vegetable oil, for frying

To serve

2 spring onions, washed and finely sliced into round slices

Method

Begin by preparing the ponzu sauce. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and yuzu juice, stirring until well combined. Weigh out 35g for the salsa, reserving the rest for serving

25ml of soy sauce
50ml of rice vinegar
10ml of yuzu juice

For the onion salsa, combine the ponzu sauce with the onion and garlic purée and mix well. Slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil and refrigerate until required

1/4 tsp garlic purée
1 white onion, finely diced
40ml of grapeseed oil

To make the garlic crisps, use a mandoline to finely slice the cloves into thin pieces and place them into a saucepan. Cover with milk and bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Drain the garlic and rinse gently in cold running water, patting dry on a piece of kitchen towel

200ml of milk
3 garlic cloves

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it reaches 140°C, then fry the garlic slices in small batches until they are golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper and keep in a warm place until required

500ml of vegetable oil, for frying

Place a cast iron pan over a high heat and allow to heat up until almost smoking. Meanwhile, generously season the beef fillet all over with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a small amount of grapeseed oil, then place the fillet into the hot pan to sear on all sides

100g of beef fillet, trimmed
1 dash of grapeseed oil, or another neutral flavoured oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Once the fillet has colour on the outside but is still very rare quickly remove it from the pan and plunge the beef into an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Leave to chill for 1 minute, then remove from the ice bath and place on a sheet of kitchen paper to rest

Thinly slice the fillet into even pieces and arrange across a deep plate or dish. Spoon a line of the onion salsa across the beef slices and top with a row of sliced spring onion. Drizzle over a little of the leftover ponzu sauce and garnish with the garlic crisps

1 bunch of spring onions, washed and finely sliced into round slices

Seared Nigiri Sushi

Ingredients – serves 2

Seared nigiri

100g of salmon – sushi grade or smoked

Sushi rice

150g of sushi rice
180ml of water
12ml of rice vinegar
3g of salt
7g of sugar

20g of Red Tobiko or salmon roe

Micro purple amaranth cress leaves
4 tsp wasabi paste
Sushi ginger

Method

Begin by preparing the sushi rice. Place the rice in a medium pan with a tightly fitting lid and rinse thoroughly with cold water 5 or 6 times. After the final rinse, refill the pan with water and leave the rice to soak for 20 minutes

Carefully drain the soaked rice and pour over the measured water. Bring up to the boil, then cover the pan with the lid and reduce the heat until very low. Leave the rice to steam and simmer gently for 20 minutes

When the rice has nearly finished cooking prepare the sushi vinegar. Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a large bowl and place in a microwave for 10 seconds. One warmed through, stir well to combine

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cooked rice to the mixing bowl with the sushi vinegar. Mix together to combine, then set aside and leave to cool to room temperature

Meanwhile, prepare the fish. Thinly slice the salmon into even strips, each weighing 10–12g.

To assemble the sushi, weigh out 10 portions of sushi rice, each weighing 12g. Using the palm of your hands, shape the rice balls into even oblongs and place on a baking tray

Lay the fish pieces on top of the rice and sear with a blowtorch until lightly charred. Once seared, divide the nigiri evenly between serving dishes

To serve the salmon nigiri with 2g each of roe and garnish with sprigs of amaranth cress. Place a little sushi ginger and wasabi on each plate and serve immediately

Tuna Poke Bowl

Ingredients

200g of Tuna – ask your fish monger for sushi grade

Mango, Yuzu & Wasabi Dressing

10ml of yuzu juice
25ml of soy sauce
50ml of rice vinegar
Trimmings from the mango
5g wasabi paste

Sushi Rice

- 150g of sushi rice
- 180ml of water
- 12ml of rice vinegar
- 3g of salt
- 7g of sugar

Poke Vegetables

1 carrot – cut into ribbons
1 avocado – sliced
¼ Cucumber – diced
1 mango – diced
1 bunch of breakfast radishes – sliced
125g shelled edamame beans
125g Kaiso (Wakame)
1 Lotus root – finely sliced
Black sesame seeds

Method

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cooked rice to the mixing bowl with the sushi vinegar. Mix together to combine, then set aside and leave to cool to room temperature

Preparing the dressing. Mix together all of the ingredients in a blender, blitz until well combined and smooth.

Meanwhile, prepare the fish. Thinly slice the salmon into even strips, each weighing 10–12g.

Prepare the vegetables as stated in the ingredients

Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the lotus root until it is crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

Dress all the vegetables except the kaiso & lotus root with the dressing

To assemble the bowls split half of the rice between two bowls. Arrange the vegetables on top of the rice. Top with the sliced tuna with a drizzle of the dressing and sesame seeds.

Garlic Chilli Hot Sauce

Ingredients

100g Red Chili Peppers. *for a milder sauce, use less
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Bulbs Garlic (crushed or minced)
3 Shallots, medium size (diced)
450ml Tomato Passata
60ml Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce (this is a vital for wonderful flavour, please don’t skip it)

Method

Rinse, clean and remove stems of the chiles. Blot dry with paper towel.
Chop the chilli peppers. The smaller the cut, the smoother your final sauce will be. Or you can just leave them minced small for a spicier bite and bigger texture.
In medium saucepan, heat oil then add minced garlic and shallots. Over medium heat sauté garlic and shallots for a about 1 minute or until light brown and fragrant. Fry the garlic and shallots enough so that they become crispy, but not burnt. (don’t burn your garlic!)
Add tomato sauce and diced chilli peppers. Let the sauce come to a simmer then lower heat to keep at a low simmer. Add fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well.
Continue simmering the garlic hot sauce for about 5 minutes. This will break down the chilli peppers and soften them to create the smooth consistency.
Remove hot sauce from heat and allow to cool completely.
Transfer hot sauce to blender and whizz until smooth or until most of the chilli pepper skin and seeds break down
Taste the hot sauce to further customise the hot sauce to your liking.
Add more sugar, vinegar or water. Blend one last time till smooth. Pour into clean, airtight jar and refrigerate and use within about 1 week. Or pour into sterilised jars and use safe canning techniques to store for longer.

Spicy Yaki Udon Noodles

Ingredients

Noodles – 2 individual packs of udon noodle

Spicy Chilli and Garlic Sauce – From the recipe above

Tofu- 1 pack of firm tofu – cut in to medium cubes

Garnish

Black sesame seeds
Pink sushi ginger
1 red chilli – finely sliced at an angle
1 spring onion – finely sliced at an angle

Stir Fry Vegetables

1 carrot – cut in to ribbons
¼ Chinese leaf
1 pack of sugar snap peas
1 red pepper – finely sliced
1 red onion – finely sliced
125g shelled edamame beans

Method

Begin by preparing the vegetables as described

Cut the tofu in to 1cm cubes.

Heat a pan of water to boiling

Heat a wok to smoking

Drop the noodles in to the boiling to heat

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok (couple of seconds). Add the tofu and stir fry for a minute, Add the prepared vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Add 200ml of sauce to the pan and stir quickly.

Remove the noodles from the water with a spider and add to the wok. Sir and remove from the heat.

To assemble the bowls split between two bowls. Sprinkle the garnish on top.

We hope you enjoyed the class!

We really hope you enjoyed your class at Food Sorcery. If you have any questions for chef please do ask and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

If you have the time it would be great if you could leave a review on Tripadvisor or google. If you have any feedback about the class please do let us know.