Community Kitchen

BROILED MOCHI
Mochi is a must in a Japanese family. Yummy . . . Wrapped in Nori (seaweed)

Mochi – 2 to 3 cakes per person.
Nori — buy the ajitsuke nori — flavoured nori in rectangular shapes.
You can use the big flat sheets and toast it to crisp it but don’t burn it, and cut it using scissors about 2 inches by 4 inches

I use a toaster oven and place the mochi on a small sheet of foil paper sprinkled with flour (to prevent sticking). I toast it twice and it mushrooms up and becomes crusty and a shell is formed. Some charring enhances flavour but don’t burn it. Takes about 5 to 8 minutes, If you don’t have a toaster oven use the broiler in a regular oven and keep it 4 to 6 inches away and watch it closely to the desired doneness.

To Eat: Wrap the nori strips around the hot, broiled mochi, dip it in 2 Tbsp Soya sauce and enjoy.
I add 1 tsp. sugar or brown sugar and mix it with the soya sauce (if you like it sweet).

SWEET POTATO MOCHI

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. mochiko
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cups brown sugar
1 can (13-1/2 oz.) coconut milk
1-1/4 cups water
2 cups cooked and diced sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon black sesame seed
Kinako (yellow soy bean powder)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan.
In a large bowl, sift mochiko, baking soda and salt.
Add brown sugar and and mix well.
Add coconut milk and water and mix well.
Fold in sweet potatoes; pour into prepared pan.
Sprinkle with sesame seed. Bake for 1 hour.
Cool and cut into 2 x 1 inch pieces. Coat each piece with kinako. Makes 54 pieces.

Hapa Seafood Chowder

Stock:
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
½ carrot, coarsely chopped
¼ fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
1 piece kombu, about 3-4 inches long
1 cup bonito flakes, lightly packed
¼ teaspoon peppercorns
1 sprig parsley
½ bay leaf
4 cups water.
Bring this to a boil in a large pot, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, drain and discard the solids.

Cream sauce:
3 tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
Melt the butter, add the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Gradually whisk in the stock, stirring quickly and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Set aside

The fish:
1 Tablespoon butter
½ small onion, diced to about ¼ inch pieces
1 carrot, cut in ¼ inch dice
1 medium new potato, cut in ½ inch dice
½ pound firm white fish such as halibut, cod, snapper, cut in 1 inch pieces
½ pound sea scallops, cut in 1 inch pieces if needed.
2 tablespoon sake
2 teaspoon light soy sauce
½ cup whipping cream
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon shichimi powder
4 slices bacon, diced, fried until crisp and drained.

Thinly sliced green onions or chopped parsley, croutons
Melt the butter over medium heat and add the vegetables and sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Add the seafood and continue to sauté, moving the seafood gently for 2 minutes.
Add the sake, cover and continue to cook over moderate heat until the fish is almost cooked and the vegetables are soft—another 4-5 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if it is too dry and sticks.
Add the seafood to the sauce mix, stir in the soy sauce, whipping cream, shichimi powder, salt.
Heat until hot, taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper (preferably white pepper), if needed.
Garnish the soup with the reserved bacon, green onions or chopped parsley, your favourite croutons.