Spring Recipes with Sake Pairing

Spring Recipes 

Spring is here and there are a few ingredients that are quintessential for a delicious springtime feast. Spring brings about delicately flavoured vegetables and seafood. Find out more below on how you can recreate the 'taste of spring' with some of our recommended recipes and sake pairings. 

Sake Asari (Clams)

Clams are hugely popular in spring. You can put it in miso soup, steam it or fry it with butter. Its sweet and delicious meat is definitely a treat during spring. If you are using fresh clams, make sure to purge the sand and wash your clams clean. To purge the sand, simply leave fresh clams in a bowl of tap water for about 30 minutes to an hour. 

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 700g clams (manila or littleneck clams), cleaned
• 375ml cooking sake (Kiku-Masamune Cooking Sake)
• 1/2 small ginger, julienned
• 1/2 chilli padi, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman Usukuchi Shoyu)
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• Black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, heat butter over high heat.
2. Add ginger and chilli and sauté for a minute or so till fragrant.
3. Add clams and sake in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook till clam's shells start to open. 
4. Add soy sauce and season with black pepper if needed.
5. Garnish with spring onions and the clams are ready to be served. 

Simmered Bamboo Shoots

A popular cooking ingredient during spring, bamboo shoots in spring have a subtle freshness and crunch that is different from that of other months. This traditional Japanese side dish of simmered bamboo shoots is easy to make and also a great accompaniment to your alcohol. You can find pre-boiled and packed whole bamboo shoots in supermarkets.

Ingredients 

• 1 whole boiled bamboo shoot, about 550g
• 8g dried bonito flakes (Futaba Hana Bonito Flakes)
• 30ml cooking sake (Morita Organic Junmai Cooking Sake)
• 30ml mirin (Morita Hon Mirin)
• 30ml soy sauce (Kikkoman Usukuchi Shoyu)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 360ml water or dashi

Instructions

1. Cut bamboo shoots into slices or wedges.
2. In a saucepan, combine sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and water. 
3. Add bamboo shoots in the saucepan and place a drop lid on top. Simmer over medium heat until most of the simmering liquid has evaporated. 
4. Add in the bonito flakes and mix well. Ready to serve.
5. you can also add your favourite garnish or additional ingredients like leaks or green onions to the saucepan.

Shirataki Noodles with Beef and Mushrooms

Shirataki is a traditional Japanese noodle made from konjac yam. It is used in many Japanese dishes like sukiyaki and oden. A great alternative to your usual wheat noodles as it contains lesser calories and is equally as filling. Remember to rinse your shirataki under running water and cook it in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes first before including it in any recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 150g thinly sliced beef or shabu shabu beef
• 400g Shirataki Noodles (Murakami Shirataki Mizuni)
• 1/4 small ginger, thinly sliced
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 200g shimeji mushrooms
• 2 king oyster mushrooms, sliced
  
• 250ml dashi
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 50ml sake (Kiku-Masamune Cooking Sake)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Morita Hon Mirin) 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman Usukuchi Shoyu)
• pepper to taste

Instructions 

1. In a frying pan, heat oil in medium heat. Add ginger.
2. Add beef and fry until beef is almost cooked.
3. Add all the mushrooms and fry well. Add dashi and sake and bring it to a boil. 
4. Lower heat and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. 
5. Add shirataki noodles, mirin, soy sauce and sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add pepper to taste. Ready to serve.