laocook

We call them “Matchstick Mushrooms”, but they also go by the name of Golden Enoki.

When most of us think about Enoki, we picture the White variety with long stems. Golden Enoki are much shorter and grow in cylindrical clusters. These have a more nutty flavour than their cousins, and can also be used in Soups and Salads or simply sauteed with some Smoked Butter.

Enoki are available all year round packaged in water or found fresh in Asian Supermarkets. We prefer the latter.

We use them sandwiched between some grilled King Prawns served on a slice of Seabass with Tamarind Sauce.

They can also be found in our Vegetarian Sushi.

Here they are mixed with the White variety and served Gunkan Maki style (Battleship Sushi).

It is a misconception that Sushi always contains raw fish. “Sushi” or “Zushi” actually refers to Japanese dressed rice, served or wrapped with various ingredients, not only fish or seafood. :)

Another Japanese delicacy that has been making the rounds in the kitchen are Miso Baked Aubergines.

We like to use Baby Aubergines (they are less bitter). These are cooked under foil in a high temperature oven until soft, then briefly grilled before serving. Their little size makes them perfect for Amuse Bouches.

Other snacks that we are working on include Homemade King Crab Crackers with Saffron and Basil.

The name sounds kind of long for what is basically our upmarket version of Prawn Crackers (Shrimp Chips).

As the title suggests, we use meat from the King Crab, and the wonderful colour is obtained by using Saffron Water.

These will need a few days drying. When cooked they will fluff up to 4 times their original size. Yummy. :)