Authentic Japanese Cooking in Hokkaido

Delicious and healthy Japanese food is catching the attention of global eyes. This program delivers the profound Japanese culinary experience including the background food culture and scientific corroborative of the techniques. Linking with November's theme 'food', we jump out of the studio for this special edition and explore the fun and wisdom of Japanese culinary skills in autumn Hokkaido. Master chef Tatsuo Saito arranges the dishes with fruit of the sea and earth, while introducing the harvesting of potatoes and other vegetables, and the catch of hairy crabs and sea urchin. Temari Sushi Balls [Ingredients] *Serves "Adjust the quantity depending how many balls you are making" Sushi rice [Topping suggestions] Boiled shrimp Scallops Slices of tuna, marinated in soy-sauce mixture Thin omelet [Garnish suggestions] White sesame seeds Black sesame seeds Kinome sansho leaves Mustard Chrysanthemum leaves Ginger [Method] 1. Butterfly the shrimp. Cut them on both thick parts, and open each into a flat sheet. Then, cut each into 3 to 4 cm squares. 2. Slice scallops slowly into about 2 to 3 mm, while gently pressing it down with the other hand. 3. Blanch the tuna briefly, and then marinate it in the soy sauce for 2 to 3 hours. Cut it into thin slices about the same size as the other ingredients. 4. Make the beaten eggs into thin crepes in a frying pan. Cut these into the same size as the other ingredients. 5. Rolling the sushi rice in your hands dampened with vinegar. The ideal size is about 4 cm in diameter. 6. Placing the topping on the gauze which has been soaked in water. Then, placing the rolled sushi rice on top, twisting the gauze and press the balls. 7. Before arranging on a plate, top the shrimp with a green herb. Top the scallop with black sesame seeds. Top the tuna with yellow mustard. Then, top the egg with white sesame seeds. Butter-flavered Lamb and Potato [Ingredients] *Serves 3 250g leg of lamb 300g all purpose potatoes 1 onion 5 green beans 30g unsalted butter 100ml milk 300ml water Salt Ground black pepper 1 tsp sake 50ml soy sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 tbsp sugar [Method] 1. Cut the meat into thin slices of 3 to 5 mm. Rub the slices well with salt, pepper, sake, and soy sauce. Leave for several minutes to marinate. 2. Peel the potato, remove the buds, and cut into 16 pieces. Then, soak in water. 3. Cut the onion in half and then making 1-cm thick slices. 4. For the green beans, remove the strings, and cut on a diagonal. Blanch them in salted water, for about 1 minute, and drain. 5. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, then cook the lamb, and take out once. 6. Once the juice from the meat is absorbed into the vegetables, add the potato and onion, and stir-fry for a bit longer. 7. Return the lamb slices to the pan. Then, add the water and milk. After skimming from time to time, add the sugar, cover with a paper-lid, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. 8. Add the soy sauce, then simmer for about 15 minutes low heat. 9. Arrange it onto a dish. A bit of pepper, brings the flavors together. Garnish with green beans. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and when it melts and has a nice aroma, pour over the meat and potatoes. Crab and Potato "Noodles" [Ingredients] *Serves 3 70g kegani (hair crab) in shell 180g all purpose potatoes 4 pieces of okra 1 tbsp lemon juice 10g oboro shredded kombu 200ml water 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce Salmon roe, to taste [Method] 1. Add salt, into a large amount of hot water, in a pot, and add the crab, shell-side down. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer, for 20 minutes. 2. Cut the potato into fine strips. Soak the potato "noodles" in water. Then, boil the potatoes in a sieve for 30 seconds, and put it in the cold water. Plunge them into ice water for 2 minutes to cool completely. Dry it well with paper towels. 3. Prep the okra. Cut off the hard part from each top, and rub with salt to remove the hairs. Blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, and cool in ice water to keep their green color. Cut into halves, and remove the seeds with bamboo skewers. Then, cut each into thin round slices. 4. Place the oboro shredded kombu, water, salt, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, let the pan cool. 5. Put boiled crab into cold water immediately. When it is cooled enough, drain in a sieve, then begin to dress the crab. Remove all of the crabmeat from the shells. 6. Combine the ingredients in turns. Place the potato noodles in a bowl, then, mix in the oboro shredded kombu sauce. Mix in the crabmeat, okra, and lemon juice. After mixing well, let's arrange in a "shell" cup. And add the salmon roe to taste.