February 15, 2009

Cucumber and Wakame Sunomono/きゅうりと若布の酢の物

Wakame is a type of seaweed, and sunomono means vinegared dishes. Cucumbers and wakame go very well together.
若布は海草の一種です。酢の物(すのもの)とはお酢を使った料理のことです。きゅうりと若布はとてもよく合います。
Ingredients:
3 cucumbers
50 g dried wakame
1 tsp salt

Dressing:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar (or 1 tbsp mirin, alcohol removed by boiling)

Directions:
1. In a bowl, cut cucumbers into thin slices, using an appropriate utensil such as a knife, mandoline, or benriner.
2. Add 1tsp salt, and rub the slices. Let stand for several minutes until water comes out.
3. Squeeze the slices, and transfer to another bowl.
4. In another bowl, reconstitute dried wakame by soaking in lukewarm water.
5. Blanch wakame in hot water for a few seconds, until a vivid green color is obtained, and put in cold water. (I omitted this step.) Drain.
6. Combine wakame and cucumber slices.
7. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar (or mirin).
My favorite way is to let the diner pour the dressing immediately before he/she has this dish.
材料:
きゅうり3本
乾燥若布50 g
塩小さじ1

ドレッシング:
しょう油大さじ2
お酢大さじ2
砂糖小さじ1(またはみりん大さじ1。アルコール分は煮切る)

作り方:
1. ボールにきゅうりを薄切りにする。包丁、mandoline、ベンリナー、など適当な道具を使う。
2. 塩を小さじ1足して、もむ。数分、水が出てくるまで置く。
3. 絞って、別のボールに入れる。
4. 別のボールで、乾燥若布をぬるま湯に漬けて戻す。
5. 数秒、鮮やかな緑色になるまで、若布を熱いお湯で湯がき、冷水に入れる。(私はこの部分を省きました。)水を切る。
6. 若布ときゅうりを合わせる。
7. しょう油、お酢、砂糖(またはみりん)を合わせる。
私が好きな方法は、食べる人に、食べる直前にドレッシングをかけてもらうことです。
Photos:
写真:
Japanese cucumbers are like these. You don't have to deseed them.
日本のきゅうりはこんな感じです。種を取る必要はありません。

Dried wakame expands five times in volume when reconstituted.
乾燥若布は戻すと体積が5倍増えます。


I later sprinkled some white sesame seeds.
後で白胡麻を少し振りました。

2 comments:

Miko said...

Hi Hiroyuki Just wondering..does the wakame taste bit fishy. This cucumber wakame salad looks delicious. What other vege is good with cucumber ?

Hiroyuki said...

Miko: Wakame fishy? I don't think so. Besides, wakame is not even a fish! Think of wakame as a sea vegetable, not a seaWEED.

I personally would keep this dish simple. Cucumber and wakame go very well together. But, if you asked me, I could add all sorts of other vegetables like daikon, carrot, mizuna, and corn(!). Just think what you would add to your salad.