Epitourists Brunch - Ichiju Gosai

My turn to select the Epitourist theme, and what started out as an exploration of fermentation evolved into a Japanese brunch.

A typical Japanese meal comprises four elements: rice, soup, side dishes, and pickled vegetables. This meal format can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The well-balanced meal is said to provide the body with: energy, body-building, and body-conditioning. 

Gohan (ご飯) – a bowl of plain steamed rice
Shiru (汁) – a bowl of soup, which may contain vegetables or tofu
Okazu (おかず) – main dish and two side dishes composed of vegetables, tofu, fish, or meat

Kouno mono(香の物) – a small plate of Tsukemono, pickled vegetables 

Ichiju-Sansai is the basis of Japanese cuisine. It means “one soup, three dishes,” and describes the quintessential Japanese meal. Inspired by breakfasts in Kyoto and Nara, our brunch was Ichiju Gosai, or "one soup, five sides." 

Menu

Miso soup

Sushi rice

Tamagoyaki

Grilled Salmon

Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Carrot, Daikon and Cucumber Misozuke

Green tea

Laura ordered a Tamagoyaki pan and prepared "rolled eggs" - fresh from her chickens! 

In Japanese, tamago means egg and yaki means grill, so tamagoyaki literally translates to ‘grilled egg’. This classic dish is made by rolling together thin omelettes in a frying pan, folding them into a layered log, and then sliced into pillows. It has a light sweet taste, thanks to flavoring the egg mixture with mirin, sugar, and dashi. 

- Tamagoyaki Just One Cookbook

You Tube videos provide demos of the technique. It takes a practised hand to roll and layer the thin layers of omelette and then slice it into pillows, but the result transforms the texture of the the egg. These were so delicious I just may order a pan for myself. Laura's tamagoyaki was as good as what I'd tasted in Nara, and probably better because they were still warm. You can also cool and save for later as part of a bento box.

Kaarina found a good tutorial on miso soup, including the recipe, photos & video, also at Just One Cookbook and dubs it "The best I’ve made." Honestly, this miso soup was the best I've tasted. I felt like I was drinking from a cloud.

There are many paths to making miso soup, but once you grasp the basics, you can explore and customize.... and trust me, what you make will taste 10,000 times better than the miso soup from Japanese restaurants or the instant varieties. 

 - Miso Just One Cookbook

Kaarina found her recipe for Carrot Ginger Dressing at Just One Cookbook, and I also referenced the site for Miso Butter Salmon and an overview of Japanese pickles to make at home.

So many ways to make Japanese pickles! I tried four different styles. The easiest were asazuke which are lightly pickled and ready in one hour (refreshing!).  The other three used miso as the chief fermentation.  There was one fermentation with yoghurt and miso, but it didn't sit well in the fridge and was best tasted the next day. There was also a basic miso/murin combo that could be tailored with kombu, ginger or garlic, depending on the vegetable and taste preferences. I left the daikon miso pickles plain, added a touch of sesame oil to the cucumbers, and went for kombu and garlic for the carrots. Kaarina also tried pickling with lees but found the results so foul she tossed the lot. 

None of us consulted on sites beforehand, but it's clear Just One Cookbook was our favourite go-to. Lots more recipes to have fun with!

I'm glad I ordered the miso bowls, rice bowls and slate plates as this style of eating is going into regular rotation. The meal can come together fairly quickly when certain ingredients such as the dashi, dressing or pickles are prepped ahead of time. Specialty ingredients are at J-Town, which makes a fun afternoon outing. 

Note to self: take more photos of the plates!