“If Marco Pierre White can grill a steak with Knorrs beef stock cubes,
I can definitely barbeque these prawns with bonito butter”
~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~
Since my lunch at Cho Cho San, I have been a little curious.
“I would love to go to Japan with you one day” I tell Mysaucepan on a lazy Saturday afternoon as we browse the weekend papers.
King prawns with kombu butter at Cho Cho San
“You’ll love it coz they have the best beef in the world” she quickly says. “Japanese Kobe just melts in the mouth.”
“Well, I wasn’t thinking so much about Japanese food though it’s utterly fascinating and definitely a big part of the equation” I say.
“I’m more interested in the art of bonsai, Japanese history and culture, listening to Japanese jazz musicians, experiencing an onsen hot bath within serene Japanese gardens or riding a 300km shinkansen while gazing at a snow-capped Mount Fuji” I tell her.
“Yup, I’m defintely in!” she says with a sparkle in her eye.
Actually, I’ve always been curious about the hygiene factor of sushi served on a naked woman’s body in some Tokyo bars but that’s another story. More specifically, I’m thinking about the good ‘ole Aussie barbie being a convivial slow-griller while sipping chilled chardys during hot summer afternoons. Sorta like a half-paced izakaya away from hectic Tokyo street life.
And over a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decide to replicate a few of my favourite dishes from Cho Cho San. So here are seven recipes inspired by my lunch at this modern izakaya. They are simple yet delicious recipes and best of all, the first three do not require any cooking at all. If I can prepare this meal, anyone can do it too.
Enjoy and happy cooking!
Modern Japanese Inspirations from Cho Cho San
“What is so Japanese about oysters with a ruby vinaigrette dressing?” Mysaucepan asks.
“Well, I never said it was Japanese” I reply. “But find me one good party that doesn’t start with fresh oysters and champagne.”
“Oooh … okay then!” she smiles.
2006 Clover Hill sparkling wine
I first tasted Clover Hill sparkling wine in 2002 at the beautiful Stillwater restaurant situated at the mouth of the Cataract Gorge on the banks of the Tamar River in Launceston.
It was our first time in Tasmania and ever since then, Mysaucepan and I have a soft spot for the nutty and toasted flavours of this sparkling wine. The grapes are gently whole-bunch pressed, fermented in individual bunches, then matured on lees in bottle for at least three years.
We are hosting our friends The Monk and Fiona on this lazy Sunday over the long weekend.
The Monk pops open a 2006 Clover Hill bubbly. Beautifully nutty with savoury, soy sauce undertones, it’s a definite match with seafood and sashimi that we are about to dive into.
Unshucked Pacific oysters with ruby grapefruit vinaigrette
I love shucking fresh oysters.
A dozen un-shucked fresh oysters is usually a dollar off the regular retail price of shucked oysters at the Sydney Fish Market, or $0.08 cents discount per un-shucked oyster.
So if an oyster shucker can shuck say 4 oysters per minute, he earns $0.08 x 4 oysters per minute x 60 minutes = $19.20 per hour. It is relatively cheap to buy shucked oysters assuming the shucker only earns $19.20 per hour for his shucking efforts. But I love buying un-shucked oysters for several reasons.
Firstly, keep them upright in your fridge to ensure they remain fresh and don’t empty their brine when they open to breath. You can decide to shuck them anytime over the next couple of days – it’s like a fresh oyster pantry in your fridge!
Secondly, the salty, briny juice of fresh oysters is the elixir that makes them so sexciting. A shucked oyster where its brine has been rinsed away with fresh running water to comply with food safety regulations is never the same as an un-shucked jewel that you pry open with your own efforts.
It took me ten good minutes to shuck a dozen oysters. So my cost as an oyster shucker works out to be roughly $0.08 cents x 1 oyster per minute x 60 minutes = $4.80 per hour. My rate might be dirt cheap compared to a seasoned shucker but the taste of these briny oysters is worth far more than my prying efforts.
(Caution: Be very careful when shucking oysters. Invest in a good oyster shucker and protect your hand at all times with a thick cloth or proper protective gloves. Read more about “How to shuck fresh oysters here“.)
Ruby grapefruit vinaigrette
One of my favourite dressings for fresh oysters is a ruby vinaigrette. Segments of ruby grapefruit and its juices mixed with mirin, black pepper and diced coriander stalks are sweet yet gently tart.
Pacific oysters with ruby grapefruit vinaigrette
I spoon some dressing onto each oyster.
So fresh, they gently squirm under the grapefruit vinaigrette. And each mouthful of briny, creamy Pacific is washed down by the nutty, toasted flavours of an aged bubbly.
It’s a lazy Sunday and the party has just begun.
I have always liked a Caesar salad because I love the combination of bacon and eggs. And I love a Japanese style Caesar for the same reasons and more.
Japanese Caesar with cos lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon, rice cracker
I use cos lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, crisp nori sheets and rice crackers for this recipe.
Combined with a heady mix of Japanese kewpie mayonnaise and hot wasabi, this is a beautiful summer salad with an attitude but without as much calories as a regular Caesar.
“It must be healthier when we substitute boiled eggs and bacon with smoked salmon?” Mysaucepan asks.
“Most definitely!” I reply. “Smoked salmon is always healthier with champagne or chardonnay.”
Why would you order salmon sashimi at an izakaya restaurant?
Ocean trout sashimi at Cho Cho San
Some diners have been raving about this ocean trout sashimi on social media and Urbanspoon though I fail understand the fuss over it.
Seafood in Sydney is so fresh one needs to do little cooking to pay due respect. A dish like sashimi really comes down to the execution of slicing, dressing and garnish.
For me, the dressing for this ocean trout sashimi at Cho Cho San tasted a little too sweet though the menu specified wasabi and black pepper.
I resist adding lemon juice for fear it might ‘cook’ the sashimi but in hindsight, it would have balanced the sweetness of the dressing. So I have added this item in the recipe.
Tasmanian salmon with honey, light soy and mirin
This style of sashimi dressing is rather different from the traditions of light soy and a nib of wasabi.
Tasmanian salmon with honey, light soy and mirin
It’s rather ironic because I don’t have a sweet taste inclination and find the dressing savoury with just a slight tinge of sweetness though everyone else felt it a little sweet for their liking.
Nevertheless, this issue can be easily fixed by simply turning down the dial on honey.
Baby octopus is a signature of Mediterranean cuisine but whenever I see them at the Sydney Fish Market, I just cannot resist their delightful temptation.
Baby octopus on the BBQ
Most popularly grilled with herbs and olive oil in Italian and Greek cuisine, I’m always tempted to try them raw though it’s difficult to find sashimi grade baby octopus.
Calamari, lime ponzu at Cho Cho San
It is definitely one of the first things I’d love to do if I ever get to Japan ~ to eat raw squid, cuttlefish and octopus with their tentacles sucking against my lips and tongue.
How good is an experience of biting into soft wriggly tentacles with the taste of spicy wasabi and soy sauce in your mouth?
I pat dry these baby octopus and place them on the hot BBQ and they begin to sizzle immediately. Cooking these little babies without oil ensures they become charred with those smoky aromas.
The calamari, lime ponzu at Cho Cho San is sprinkled with chives and rather tangy for my liking though the squid was very tender and appetizing. So, I am making doubly sure to not overcook these baby octopus today.
Baby octopus with lime ponzu
I have adjusted my interpretation with a dash of Manuka honey to balance the acidity of ponzu and lime juice and it works a treat.
2013 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
A 2013 Lake’s Folly Chardonnay is slightly peachy though its creamy and buttery texture has yet to fully mature.
Though it’s a beautiful drop, this wine is before its time and can definitely do with a few more years in the cellar.
The king prawns with kombu butter at Cho Cho San was one of my favourites dishes from its Hibachi grill. At the restaurant, I believe the prawns are slow-grilled until charred and smoky, then drizzled with the kombu butter sauce.
Adding bonito seasoning to finely diced coriander
“Have you tried it before?” Mysaucepan asks about mixing this bonito soup stock with butter.
“If Marco Pierre White can grill a steak with Knorrs beef stock cubes, I can definitely innovate and barbeque these prawns with bonito butter” I reply.
This bonito flavoured soup stock is very versatile for preparing Asian soups and stews. When mixed with water, it has a wonderful umami taste that adds salt complexity to any savoury dish requiring a bit of broth in a hurry.
I like using it to make a simple broth for Chinese style steamed fish.
The bonito flavoured soup stock comes in very tiny pallets but I have pounded it with a pestle and mortar until it is almost powdery so it dissolves better when mixed with the diced coriander and unsalted butter.
Yamba king prawns shelled on top side
The prawns at Cho Cho San were good but that dish cost $28 for three large prawns. Eight of these Yamba king prawns of similar size cost $14 at Sydney Fish Market.
Yamba king prawns slathered with bonito butter on the BBQ
I have shelled the prawns with a pair of kitchen scissors only on one side and made a small, lengthwise incision on the meat from head to tail.
Simply slather the prawns with the bonito butter and place shell side down on the BBQ and grill on high heat for about two to three minutes. Be cautious to not overcook these prawns as they will become tough and dry. Small flare ups are good as they help impart that smoky, charred aromas to the prawns.
The incision along each prawn holds the butter as it melts. The bottom half of the prawn shell acts like a ‘bowl’ and stops the delicious butter sauce melting down into the grill.
Yamba king prawns with bonito butter
Butter works beautifully with a flavourful seasoning on shellfish and these prawns are truly magnificent today.
Each segment of prawn comes off easily using a fork and knife. And when you’re done with the meat, my advice is to dig in with your fingers and suck the crap out of the prawn shells and head. It’s a flavour bomb with the bonito butter sauce.
Miso eggplant is a mainstay in many Japanese restaurants as an entrée and one of Mysaucepan‘s favourites.
I enjoy this dish too as long as the miso paste is not overly sweet as it can sometimes be.
Miso eggplant with mirin and roasted sesame
I have sliced the eggplant into 2 cm thick round medallions. For this recipe, it’s better to err on the thick side as thin slices will wilt and dry up.
Simply dry grill these eggplant medallions on the BBQ or an open flame to allow smoky flavours to impart. Once they are gently soft, coat the top of each medallion with the miso paste and mirin mixture and return into a hot oven grill to charbroil. When the eggplant is soft, remove from oven and season with roasted white sesame seeds and serve.
This gently sweet miso eggplant is exceptional with the jammy flavours of a 2012 Peregrine Pinot Noir from Central Otago in New Zealand.
At 1,098 square kilometres, King Island in the north-western tip of Tasmania is one and a half times the size of Singapore.
Yet with just 1,800 inhabitants, this island produces some of the most beautiful cuts of premium beef in Australia.
“It must be the air” Mysaucepan says. “After all, Tassie is known to have the freshest air in the world.”
King Island scotch fillet
Whenever I see King Island beef brand on supermarket shelves, I imagine beautiful black cows grazing along rolling hills at one of the most pristine locations in the world.
At $38 per kilogram, this scotch fillet steak is significantly more expensive than Coles or Woolworths brands which normally retail for $22. But from a taste, flavour and texture perspective, King Island beef wins hands down.
This brand comes vacuum packed with different cuts – rump, sirloin, scotch fillet or eye fillet. The scotch fillet packs are usually between 400 – 500 grams, made up of two halves of similar sized steaks.
225gm King island scotch fillet with bonito butter
The meat is dark crimson with its signature ribbon of luscious fat.
I’ve used just one half of this pack ~ a scotch fillet of approximately 225 grams and I always prefer to season with salt just before grilling so as to not draw any moisture from the meat.
But for today’s recipe, no salt is required since the bonito butter is well-flavoured.
King island scotch fillet with bonito butter
Approximately three to four minutes on each side on a hot BBQ and the meat is beautifully caramelized.
Plonk a knob of the coriander bonito butter and let it melt into the meat as it rests for five minutes before slicing the steak into 1 cm strips.
Bonito butter melting on king island scotch fillet
There is a nice blush of pink as the butter slowly melts away.
2012 Stefano Lubiana Pinot Noir
Tasmania is renown for its luscious and jammy pinot noir and a 2012 Stefano Lubiana Primavera Pinot Noir is no exception.
Its dark berries and subtle oak against the tender scotch fillet is like a soft silky blanket against my skin on this beautiful spring afternoon.
It is a lazy Sunday lunch with good food and good friends. What more can one ask for, except the recipes?
Modern Japanese Inspirations from Cho Cho San
~ The Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 dozen Pacific oysters, freshly shucked with juices retained in shell
- 1 ruby grapefruit, skin & pith removed, segmented into wedges
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 3 tablespoon coriander, finely diced stalks only
Method
- Tear grapefruit wedges into 1 cm bits and place over oysters;
- Squeeze remainer of grapefruit juice on the pith into small bowl and mix with mirin and diced coriander;
- Spoon mixture onto each oyster and serve immediately.
Useful tip
- Always store un-shucked oysters upright and covered in your fridge so they don’t empty their brine when they open to breath or it may cause the oyster to dry out and die.
(Note: Be very cautious when shucking oysters. Do protect your hand at all times with a thick cloth or proper protective gloves)
Ingredients
- 2 heads baby cos lettuce, sliced crosswise into 2 cm strips
- 1 avocado, diced into half cm cubes
- 6 large slices of smoked salmon, sliced into 1 cm strips and rolled up
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced / mandolined crosswise into circles
- 8 Japanese rice crackers (Sakata brand), quartered
- 6 tablespoon Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon wasabi (adjust according to your level of spiciness)
- 1 large nori sheet, cut into thin half cm by 4cm strips
Method
- Evenly mix wasabi and mayonnaise in a small bowl (If mixture is too thick, you may choose to add 2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil);
- Arrange cos lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes and lebanese cucumber in large salad platter;
- Just before serving, drizzle the wasabi mayonnaise all over the salad, toss in rice crackers, nori strips and serve immediately;
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Useful tip
- Add rice crackers and crisp nori immediately before serving to avoid them getting soggy.
Ingredients
- 500gm sashimi grade Tasmanian salmon sliced into 1 cm strips
- 2 teaspoon Manuka honey
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 4 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice *
- Small bunch of coriander or micro herbs as garnish
Method
- Place salmon in serving platter;
- Evenly mix honey, mirin and soy in a small bowl, then drizzle over the fish. Adjust level of sweetness with the amount of honey and mirin as required;
- Sprinkle black pepper, garnish with sprigs of coriander or micro herbs and serve immediately.
* Lemon juice was not added for this recipe here but I believe it would add a good acidic balance to the honey and light soy.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant, cut into 2cm thick medallions
- 4 tablespoon miso paste
- 3 tablespoon mirin
- 3 tablespoon roasted sesame seed
Method
- Place eggplant (do not oil for smoky aroma) on hot BBQ grill or over open fire holding with a pair of thongs;
- Grill eggplant until slightly charred and soft on all sides;
- Spread miso paste evenly over each side of the eggplants and return to BBQ and grill for 2 – 3 minutes until charred and soft;
- Place of serving plate, sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 200 – 300gm King Island scotch fillet
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon Ajishima bonito soup stock
- 1 teaspoon coriander root and stock, diced very finely
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Evenly coat scotch fillet with the oil and place onto hot BBQ grill. Cook each side for about 3 – 4 minutes depending on heat intensity of your BBQ for medium rare. Total cooking time should not be more than 8 minutes;
- Remove meat from the grill, place a large dollop of the bonito butter on top of the meat and let it rest on a hot serving plate for about 5 minutes;
- Slice the meat into 1 cm strips and serve immediately;
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Ingredients
- 8 – 10 baby octopus cleaned
- 4 tablespoon ponzu sauce
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Manuka honey
- 1 teaspoon coriander, stalks only diced finely
- 1 teaspoon lime zest & coriander leaves (optional)
Method
- Mix ponzu, lime juice, light soy, honey and coriander in a small bowl and set aside;
- Place baby octopus (do not oil for smoky aroma) on hot BBQ grill and cook for about 5 minutes;
- Remove octopus from grill and place on serving plate;
- Drizzle ponzu dressing over the octopus, garnish with lime zest and coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 8 large Yamba king prawns, top half shelled and slit lengthwise
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoon Ajishima bonito soup stock
- 1 teaspoon coriander root and stock, diced very finely
Method
- Slather bonito butter onto king prawns and into the slit, then place (do not oil for smoky aroma) on hot BBQ grill and cook for about 6 minutes;
- Remove and place of large serving plate.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~
So dear readers, have you been to Japan and if so, what was the most memorable part of your trip?
All ingredients and wines featured in this meal were independently paid for by ChopinandMysaucepan. All opinions are our own.
List of key ingredients and their retail outlet:
- Pacific oysters – Peter’s Seafood
- Salmon sashimi – Peter’s Seafood
- Baby octopus – Christie’s Seafood
- Yamba king prawns – Nicholas Seafood
- King Island beef – Coles Supermarkets
Sydney Fish Market
Locked Bag 247
Bank street, Pyrmont 2009
New South Wales
Tel: +61 2 9004 1100
Trading hours: Every day from 7am – 4pm except Christmas Day
Go to www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au for find out more about trading hours, auction times and other events.
Peter’s Seafood
Shop 4, Sydney Fish Market
Tel: +61 2 9552 2555
Christie’s Seafood
Waterfront Arcade
Sydney Fish Market
Tel: +61 2 9552 3333
Nicholas Seafood
Shop 6, Sydney Fish Market
Tel: +61 2 9660 4255
King Island beef
King Island Regional Dev.Org
5 George street, King Island
Tasmania
Tel: +61 3 6462 1778
Email: kirdo@kingisand.net.au
Clover Hill Wines
Pipers River 60 Clover Hill road
Lebrina, Tasmania
Tel:+61 3 5459 7900
Lake’s Folly
2416 Brooke road, Pokolbin
New South Wales
Tel: +61 2 4998 7507
Email: wine@lakesfolly.com.au
Peregrine Wines
2127 Kawarau Gorge road
Gibbston RD1, Queenstown
New Zealand
Tel: +64 3 442 4000
Email: info@peregrinewines.co.nz
Stefano Lubiana Wines
Rowbottoms road,
Granton Tasmania
Tel: +61 3 6263 7457
Email: wine@slw.com.au
Oh, I do miss Aussie seafood and the Sydney Fish Markets. This certainly looks a wonderful feast!
Ooooh can I come over to your place to try Cho Cho San hehe 😛
And I LOVE Japan! Favourite country in the world. I’ve been so many times I’ve lost count. I can talk for an age about what I love about it. I don’t have one favourite. Tokyo is a great city with so much food and shopping. Kyoto has so much culture (and amazing food). And Hokkaido has the most amazing seafood and milk. Do you see what these places all have in common hahaha. You have to go!
Dear Chris,
I have heard so many wonderful things about Japan and it seems so beautiful and rich in culture and history. Yes, food is definitely one of the key attractions and such high quality food too! I am told Osaka also has some seriously good food.
Dear Chopin and Mysaucepan,
Lakes Folly is one of my favourite Chardonnay’s – I love your style!
You are too right, champagne and oysters are the two key ingredients to kick off a great party!
What amazing dishes you have created, very inspiring
Whoa you cooked up a serious storm here! Japan definitely inspires the best kind of food – ate non-stop when I went 😀
What wonderful recreations of the dishes. All I can say, as a frequent visitor to Japan, get yourselves there!
Wow, what a nice feast…everything sure looks fabulous…and thank you so much for sharing the recipes…
Hope you are having a great week 😀
Wow these dishes all look so good! Japanese food has the most delicious charm 😀
You have totally captured that!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Commendable effort on the cooking front. And some impressive prawn peeling too.
Dear Helen,
The task of prawn peeling is made a lot simpler with a good pair of kitchen scissors.
Wow those oysters look fresh. For me I buy the shucked ones as I am afraid to cut myself during the process, there must be a good technique to it but until I haven’t learned it I will not do it myself.
Dear Raymund,
There is a technique to shuck oysters and I thought it was difficult at first but once you know how to do it, you’d never want to buy shucked oysters if you can help it.
I can’t believe how many dishes you have been able to re-create! They all look wonderful but I love the look of those oysters and prawns.
the prawns look real good!