Dishing Japanese

My friend, Japanese-native-now-Californian Shinei Tsukamoto, is a deft cook. On a recent visit to the West Coast, we drank beers and sake while he glided around the kitchen, discussing Japanese ingredients and casually preparing "just a simple, home-style meal" for his family and a small group of friends and neighbors.

Sea vegetables, which many Americans (myself included) call "seaweed," come in myriad forms and are a staple in Japanese cooking. The type we used, wakame (pronounced wa-KA-me), comes dried (which is most commonly available here), salted, and even fresh during its brief summer harvest season. Seasoned rice vinegar, also called sushi vinegar, is mild and spiked with salt and sweetener. These days, it and everything else on our ingredients list, except the wakame (available at Asian markets such as Super 88) and the sake (sold in liquor stores), can be found in the international aisle of any well-stocked supermarket.

SHRIMP SALAD WITH CELERY, CUCUMBER, AND WAKAME
SERVES 6 AS AN APPETIZER

You can substitute frozen spinach - cooked, squeezed dry, and chopped - for the wakame.

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large (21 to 25 count) shrimp, shelled, deveined, and butterflied
2/3 cup (about 1/2 ounce) dried wakame
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 English cucumber, scrubbed and thinly sliced on the bias

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil; set the dressing aside. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. When the water on the stove boils, add the salt and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are just opaque, about 1 minute. In a colander, drain the shrimp and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain the shrimp again. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the dressing and toss. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place the wakame in a bowl, cover with cold water, and rehydrate until tender and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To assemble the salad, arrange the sliced celery along the edge of a large serving platter. Arrange the cucumber slices in a ring inside the celery ring, and then the wakame in a ring inside of that. With a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the dressing and arrange them in the center of the platter. Whisk the dressing to recombine, pour 1/2 cup of it over the entire salad, and serve at once.

OHITASHI (SESAME SPINACH)
SERVES 6 AS A SIDE DISH

Shinei Tsukamoto uses a suribachi to crush the seeds. A conventional mortar and pestle will also do the job, but you may have to work harder. Or run the seeds through a mini food processor. This dish also works well with steamed green beans or broccoli florets instead of spinach.

1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
2 teaspoons brown sugar (or granulated sugar or honey)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake or mirin
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound young or baby spinach, cleaned and large stems removed

In a skillet set over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8 minutes. Using a suribachi, mortar and pestle, or food processor, immediately crush all but 1 teaspoon of the seeds until well pulverized. (If using a food processor, transfer the pulverized sesame to a small bowl.) Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sake or mirin to the crushed sesame and mix well to make a thick dressing; set aside.

In a pot set over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. When the water on the stove boils, add the salt and spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 30 seconds. In a colander, drain the spinach and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again. Spread a clean dish towel on a work surface, transfer the spinach to the center of the towel, gather the edges, and twist to wring out as much liquid as possible. Turn the spinach onto a cutting board and chop. Transfer to a bowl, add the dressing, and toss. Sprinkle with reserved seeds and serve at once.

OYAKO DONBURI (CHICKEN AND EGGS WITH RICE)
SERVES 6

If you use Japanese short-grain rice, sometimes called sushi rice, rinse it until the water runs clear before cooking.

3 tablespoons corn, vegetable, or canola oil
1 very large onion or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 6 tablespoons)
2/3 cup sake
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups hot, freshly cooked white rice, preferably Japanese short grain

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion slices and salt, stir to coat the onions with oil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook until the onions are soft and have released their juices, about 6 minutes. Remove the cover and push the onions to the sides of the pan.

In the center of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the chicken, and half of the scallions. Cover, turn up the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just beginning to cook through, about 3 minutes. Remove the cover, add the sake and soy sauce, stir, and then simmer, uncovered, until the chicken cooks through, about 5 minutes.

Pour the eggs over the mixture, cover, and steam until the eggs are just beginning to thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the burner and let the mixture rest, covered, until the eggs are just cooked but still loose in texture, 3 to 4 minutes.

Place the rice in a serving bowl, top with the chicken-egg mixture, sprinkle with remaining scallions, and serve at once.

Send comments and suggestions to Adam Ried at cooking@globe.com.