Camp Kau Kau Day 2
Day two of Camp Kau Kau’s culinary focus was on the foods introduced to the islands by Japanese immigrants. With recipes like Sunomono, Saimin and Chi Chi Mochi!
Side Dish- Sunomono (Japanese Pickled Cucumber)
Prep Time: 5min
Cook Time: 30 min
Makes one pint mason jar
Ingredients:
1 large Japanese cucumber 2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
Equipment:
Cutting glove
Knife
Spoon
Small Bowl
Medium Bowl
Jar or container with lid
Chef’s Notes:
Pickling solution can easily be doubled or tripled to
accommodate whatever amount of veggies you have.
Distilled white vinegar can be substituted for rice vinegar.
Try using this pickling brine on matchstick carrots and daikon for banh mi, or on sliced radishes. Even better, you can use this quick pickling brine for any vegetable, including banh mi staples like carrots and daikon.
Directions:
Wash the cucumbers.
Put a cutting glove on the hand that will hold the vegetable.
Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a jar.
In a small bowl, mix sugar, salt, vinegar, and water until sugar is dissolved.
Pour pickling liquid over sliced cucumbers, seal, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Main Dish- Saimin
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 60min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Saimin Broth Recipe
8 cups water
4 pieces kombu (about 4 inches long)
1 cup dried shrimp
1 cup Bonito Flakes
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 Tablespoons Hondashi powder
¼ cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste
Saimin Noodles
3-4 packages of Saimin noodles
Equipment:
Instant Pot: To cook and simmer the broth.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: For measuring the ingredients.
Bowl: For soaking the shiitake mushrooms.
Strainer or Fine Mesh Sieve: To strain the broth and
remove solids.
Cutting Board and Knife: To slice the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.
Tongs or Slotted Spoon: For removing the kombu and other solids from the broth.
Ladle: For serving the broth
Pro Tips:
When using the Instant Pot Sauté function. Press the Sauté button once for HIGH and twice for LOW heat. High: Approximately 338°F (170°C) to 410°F (210°C) Low: Approximately 221°F (105°C) to 275°F (135°C)
High heat is used to pan sear, stir-fry, sauté and brown. Low heat is used to simmer, reduce and caramelize.
Directions:
Soak the Shiitake Mushrooms- Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes until they are fully rehydrated. Once rehydrated, squeeze out the excess water from the mushrooms, remove the stems, and slice the caps. Set aside both the mushrooms and the soaking liquid.
Prepare the Saimin Noodles- Fill the Instant Pot with 8 cups with water. Add two packages of fresh saimin noodles. Set on high pressure for 0 (zero) minutes. Let the instant pot naturally release for 10 minutes then manually release. With heat gloves on, remove the instant pot liner and empty water and noodles into the colander in the sink. Rinse noodles with cold water to remove extra starch. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cover, set aside.
Prepare the Kombu- Gently wipe the kombu with a damp cloth to clean it. Avoid washing it under running water to preserve its flavor.
Start the Broth- Turn on the Instant Pot and select the "Sauté" function on the "Low" setting. Add 8 cups of water, the kombu, the Bonito Flakes and the dried shrimp to the Instant Pot. Heat the mixture until it just starts to simmer. Do not let it boil. Once small bubbles start to form, remove the kombu from the pot. If the kombu is left too long, it can make the broth bitter/slimy.
Add the Shiitake Mushrooms- Add the rehydrated shitake mushrooms and the soaking liquid (strained to remove any grit) to the pot. Cancel the "Sauté" function. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" on "High" for 10minutes.
Season the Broth- Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow a natural release for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and add the hondashi powder, soy sauce, and sugar to the pot. Stir to dissolve the seasonings. Taste the broth and add salt as needed. You can also adjust the soy sauce and sugar to your preference.
Simmer the Broth. Turn on the "Sauté" function on the "Low" setting again. Let the broth simmer gently for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. (Optional: strain the broth to remove solids)
Serve- Rinse your saimin noodles you cooked earlier under hot water to heat them and loosen them. Distribute saimin noodles into individual serving bowls. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and add your desired toppings
Topping Suggestions
Sliced green onions
Fried spam
Kamaboko (fish cake)
Nori (seaweed)
Char siu (Chinese BBQ pork)
Soft-boiled or poached eggs
Fresh spinach or bok choy
Dessert- Chi Chi Dango Mochi
Prep. time: 5min
Cook time: 30min
Adapted from- Food is a Four Letter Word
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour
¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 ⅓ cups water
¼ cup potato starch for dusting
1 drop of pink gel food coloring (optional)
Equipment:
Instant Pot
Cake pan (7 inch for Instant Pot, 8 inch for Oven)
Whisk
Mixing Bowl
Foil
Paper towels (Instant Pot only)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add 1¼ Cup Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour, ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar, ¼ Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk, 1⅓ Cups Water, and 1 drop of Pink Gel Food Coloring (if using).
Whisk until it’s smooth and there are no lumps.
Trace the bottom of your 7 inch pan on parchment paper and cut out the circle to line the bottom of the pan. Use a brush and lightly oil the parchment and the sides of the pan.
Pour the batter into the pan. Place a paper towel on top of the pan, then wrap the pan completely with foil. The paper towel helps absorb the steam to help avoid condensation on the chichi dango.
Pour 2 cups of Water into the Instant Pot, place the sling or trivet into the pot & place the pan on top of the trivet.
Seal the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 1 hour. ● When the timer is up, wait 15 minutes before switching the knob to venting. Once the pin drops, open the lid carefully. Blot any excess liquid on top of the foil with paper towels. Lift out the pan.
If the top of mochi is set, but there is a little liquid on top, open the foil a crack and pour out the liquid (if you are not careful, the entire pan of mochi can slide out of the pan and fall on the floor).
Let the chi chi dango cool completely before removing it from the pan (about 2-3 hours).
Generously dust your cutting board with potato starch. Run a plastic knife around the edges, peel it away from the pan and place onto the cutting board. Dust the top of the chi chi dango mochi generously with potato starch. Use a sharp knife and cut straight down to make the slices, cut into rectangular pieces, and coat all the pieces in starch to make them easier to handle. Place the chi chi dango pieces into a large mesh strainer and shake to help remove the excess starch. Store in a sealed container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.