Japanese Style Braised Tokyo Turnips and Shiitake Mushrooms with Mizuna

A bit of a fusion combing some Western technique and Japanese, and pretty much all traditional Japanese flavors.

Ingredients:

10 2 to 3-inch diameter shiitakes, stems removed for another use, angle sliced through cap to produce ½-inch wide slices

1 bunch Tokyo turnips, cut into wedges around ½-inch wide

5 green onions, white and green parts separated, white diagonally sliced into ¼-inch wide by1-inch long slices, greens thinly sliced diagonally

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and cracked

1-inch chunk of ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise

2 cups dashi, vegetarian dashi, or water (See recipe for Dashi and Vegetarian Dashi on site)

1/8^th cup soy sauce-try for an artisanal shoyu for better flavor

¼ cup mirin

¼ cup sake

1 teaspoon sugar

1 bunch mizuna, leaves only, washed and dried

METHOD:

Heat a medium sauté pan (something to hold all the ingredients without spreading out too much, nor crowding too much.) over medium heat. Film the pan with the grapeseed oil. When it is hot, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook to color a little, around 4-5 minutes.

Add the turnips and sauté just a few minutes to add a little golden to the faces of the cut sides.

Ensure there is still a little oil in the pan, then add the ginger, garlic, and onion whites. When you can smell the garlic, add the dashi, sesame oil, and shoyu, sake, mirin, and sugar. Stir to mix. Simmer until the turnips are tender, around 12-15 minutes. They should be tender, but don’t let them get mushy. If there is a fair amount of liquid still in the pan, or it is not thickened at all, remove the turnips to a serving dish or work bowl, and raise the heat so the sauce in the pan reduces to a tablespoon or so of liquid. When the desired consistency is reached, remove the garlic clove and ginger pieces. Toss the vegetables with the sauce, then add in the mizuna, toss to combine, and serve with the onion greens scattered over the top of the dish.

Chef’s Notes: This dish goes well with a bowl of rice or noodles, but will match well with grilled salmon or braised chicken.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen