Recently, the Missus has been wanting all those “comfort” type dishes. Like Niku Dofu.
Of course, it can’t be “JUST” xxxx dish. There has to be some “side dishes” as well. Which ends up looking like this.
And yes, the Okra Kurogamae are still in the game so to speak. But recently, the Missus who has been on a gardening thing got some kale seeds from the library and they’ve been growing like crazy. It’s surprisngly tender…thing is; we’re not quite sure what type of kale it is…maybe Brazilian or perhaps Portuguese Kale?
Not sure; but it’s quite tender. So, at one point I wondered how it would do using at Kurogomae type sauce and served like a fukusai? It’s a bit of a pain, but after a couple of tries, I got the ratio down.
Of course, you need to squeeze out all that liquid from the kale.
Though 5-6 ounces of kale will make only that serving you see above. And so; this ain’t no cheapie dish…but the Missus really enjoys it…for now… You can do this with spinach as well.
The main difference between this and the okra version is it does well with some acidic and pungent notes. Anyway, here goes….
Keru Kurogomae
5-6 ounces Tender Kale or Spinach
1 Tb Kosher Salt
8 Cups water
Ice water
Sauce
4-5 Tb Black Sesame Powder
2 Tsp Sugar
2-3 Tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar
1 Tb Sesame Oil
1-2 Tb Avocado or other neutral oil (optional)
1 clove garlic grated
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Rinse Greens
- Add Kosher Salt to Water and bring to boil
- Add greens and blanch quickly
- Drain and place greens into ice water
– Mix together sesame powder and sugar – combine well. - Add soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.
– Check consistency. Add neutral flavored oil as needed to create an acceptable texture. - Add garlic
- Taste and add fresh ground black pepper as desired.
- Drain greens well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Chop kale into three pieces, then squeeze out excess liquid.
- Separate kale leaves and mix into sauce. Coat well.
- Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. And mix again before plating.
- Top with sesame seeds (optional)
Funny thing. Just as this is kind of a mash-up; so is another dish that I’ve been making as well, using my base recipe for Niku Dofu and another traditional “old school” recipe I grew up eating. I’ll get that one done soon!