Wallpaper 5

Hijiki seaweed

salad

Serves 4

30g dried hijiki seaweed

1 tbs light vegetable oil

1 purple (or orange)

carrot, peeled and sliced

into thin strips

½ small lotus root (approx

50g peeled, trimmed weight),

sliced thinly

100g konjac (yam cake),

boiled for 3 minutes,

then sliced like the carrots

400ml dashi stock

3 tbs mirin

3 tbs soy sauce

80g shelled, frozen

edamame beans

3 tsp toasted sesame oil

Put the hijiki in a large

bowl, cover with 500ml cold

water and leave to soak for

30 minutes. Drain in a large

sieve and rinse in cold

running water. Heat the oil

in a heavy, lidded pan over

a medium heat. Add the

carrot and lotus root and

toss in the oil for a minute.

Add the well-drained hijiki

and konjac strips and stir

well. Add the dashi, mirin

and soy sauce, bring to the

boil, then turn down to

a simmer, cover the pan and

cook for 30 minutes. Remove

the lid from the pan, add the

edamame beans and cook,

stirring, until the liquid has

reduced almost completely.

Stir in the sesame oil. Serve

at room temperature.

Black sesame

salmon

Serves 4

500g boneless, skinless

salmon fillet

2 tbs mirin

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 egg white

50g black sesame seeds

2 spring onions, trimmed

and finely shredded

Cut the salmon into 5cm

cubes. Measure the mirin,

soy sauce and sugar into

a bowl and stir until the

sugar has dissolved. Add

the salmon cubes and toss

in the marinade to coat

thoroughly, then cover the

bowl and leave in a cool

place for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 190°C.

Line a baking tray with

baking paper. Whisk

the eg white in a large

bowl until foamy. Remove

the salmon cubes from

the marinade, leaving any

excess liquid behind. Brush

each salmon cube on all

sides with a thin layer

of eg white, then place

on a plate. Put the sesame

seeds in a shallow bowl.

Coat each salmon cube in

the seeds before placing

on the baking tray. Place in

the hot oven for 6 minutes.

Serve garnished with

shredded spring onions.

Black squid risotto

Serves 6

1 litre fish or vegetable stock

4 tbs light olive oil

2 echalion shallots, trimmed

and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled

and finely chopped

1kg squid, bodies cleaned

and sliced into rings,

tentacle crowns cut in half

1 tbs butter

200g vialone nano or

carnaroli rice

½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

100ml dry white wine

4 sachets (16g) squid ink

handful of fresh parsley

leaves, chopped

zest and juice of ½ lemon

salt and pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer

in a large pan and keep at

a gentle simmer. Heat half

the oil in a large heavy-based

pan over a medium heat.

Add half the shallots and half

the garlic and cook, stirring,

for 3-4 minutes until soft and

golden. Add the prepared

squid and stir for about

5 minutes until translucent.

Remove the squid and set

aside. Add the remaining oil,

the butter, and the rest of the

chopped shallots and garlic

to the pan. Cook as before,

until soft and golden. Add

the rice and chilli lakes and

stir until well coated in oil.

Add the wine and stir until

evaporated. Add a ladleful of

hot stock to the rice mixture

and cook, stirring constantly,

until nearly all the liquid

has been absorbed. Continue

in this way, one ladleful at

a time, for about 15 minutes

until the rice is creamy

and tender but still al dente.

Add the squid ink and stir

well so that all the rice grains

are coated. Add the cooked

squid, chopped parsley,

lemon zest and juice, stir

well and season to taste.

Charcoal biscuits

Makes about 15

70g oatmeal

160g wholemeal flour

20g charcoal powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

100g cold unsalted

butter, diced

3-6 tbsp milk

Put the oatmeal in a food

processor and pulse to a ine

meal. Add the lour, charcoal

powder, baking powder, salt,

and sugar, then process for

a minute or so until you have

a ine, dark grey meal. Add

the cold butter and process

until the mixture resembles

ine breadcrumbs. Add the

milk gradually until the

dough just comes together.

Press it into a ball, wrap

in cling ilm, and chill for

15 minutes. Heat the oven to

170°C. Line two baking sheets

with baking paper. Roll

out the dough on a lightly

loured surface to a thickness

of approximately 3mm.

Press out the biscuits with

a biscuit cutter and prick

with a fork. Place on the

baking sheets and bake for 12

minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Black Velvet

Serves 1

Guinness

champagne

Half ill a champagne

lute with Guinness,

then slowly top up with

chilled champagne.

Witch’s Blue

Serves 1

50ml tequila

20ml blue curaçao

40ml pineapple juice

1 tbs lime juice

1 small egg white

slug of Campari

Half ill a cocktail shaker

with ice. Pour in the tequila,

curaçao, pineapple juice,

lime juice and eg white.

Shake well and strain into

a coupe glass. Carefully

pour in a generous slug of

Campari, which will sink

to the bottom.

322 ∑

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