Tataki Gobo - Burdock Root with Sesame

[helenjp]

Tataki Gobo - Burdock Root with Sesame

This is frequently served at New Year, but makes a tasty lunchbox vegetable any time from early summer through mid-winter.

• 2 gobo (burdock root)
  
• rice-washing water or handful of rice
  
• 100 ml mirin (sweet rice wine)
  
• 100 ml rice vinegar or mild vinegar
  
• 50 ml dashi stock made with kelp, or kelp and katsuo
  
• 1 c sesame seeds (toasted), or 2/3 c ground sesame seeds
  

* Scrub gobo – young gobo need not be peeled, but even older gobo only need to be scraped rather than peeled. Peeling thickly removes the tastiest outer layer! Cut into short lengths. Split vertically in halves or quarters if large, drop into water.

* Add a handful of rice to a panful of water, drain gobo, add to pan, bring to the boil and simmer till tender. Don’t overcook, you want to retain maximum flavor. Drain, reserving liquid, cool separately, store in liquid if not serving immediately.

* Bring mirin to the boil, add vinegar, dashi, and salt. Add drained gobo.

* Toast sesame seeds if still raw, spread on an old cloth (to stop them flying round), cut up. Alternatively, use about 2/3 c ground toasted sesame).

* To serve, drain gobo thoroughly, mix with sesame seeds.

Keywords: Side, Vegetables, Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Vegan, Japanese, Vegetarian

( RG2076 )