1 piece daikon (10cm x 3.5cm)
1 English cucumber
5-6 small umeboshi (pickled
plums), pitted and chopped
into a fine paste, or 25gm
umeboshi paste (see note)
½ tsp honey
½ tsp rice wine vinegar
¼ tsp shichimi
togarashi (see note)
20 shiso leaves1 Peel daikon and cut into
20 thin rounds with a mandoline
or sharp knife. Place slices in
a bowl of iced water to keep
them crisp and prevent them
from oxidizing.
2 Peel o as much of the
cucumber skin as you like – a
few strips is enough, but you
can go completely nude if
you want. Slice cucumber into
20 rounds that are about twice
as thick as the daikon rounds.
3 Mix umeboshi with honey,
vinegar and shichimi togarashi
in a bowl.
4 Drain daikon and pat dry with
paper towels. For each daikon
sandwich, spread a thin layer of
umeboshi paste on one slice
of daikon, top with a shiso leaf
and finish with another slice
of daikon. Do the same for the
cucumber. If shiso leaves are
especially large, trim them to
fit the sandwiches. Repeat
with remaining ingredients
and serve immediately.
Note Umeboshi, preserved
Japanese plums, and umeboshi
paste are available from
Asian and Japanese grocers.
Shichimi togarashi, a chilli
spice blend, is available from
Asian and Japanese grocers.Daikon and cucumber
“sandwiches” with shiso
and pickled plums
SERVES 8 AS A DRINKING SNACK“There are two kinds of izakayas,” says Orkin. “There’s
the classic izakaya that serves the things you know and
love: agedashi tofu, chicken karaage, grilled mackerel.
Then there are the more ambitious izakayas that ri
on those dishes using seasonal ingredients. These
‘sandwiches’ are the sort of thing you might find at the
latter. Daikon, umeboshi and shiso is a common enough
dish, but here it’s rejigged so that you experience the blend
of sourness and freshness in a dierent textural context.”136 GOURMET TRAVELLER