Sake a beyond-the-basics guide to understanding, tasting, selection & enjoyment ⋅ Nippan IPS

If you like umami flavours, ajitama are perfect for soups, salads, ramen and even onigiri! Here's the recipe for these little marinated eggs, with their melt-in-the-mouth interior. Recipe : - 4 fresh eggs - 60 ml soy sauce - 60 ml mirin - 60 ml cooking sake - 1 tsp sugar - 1 tsp dashi powder Just enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 persons : - 200g udon noodles - 3 egg yolks - 70g grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino) - black pepper - 100 g bacon - 1 tsp white miso - Green onions Steps : 1. Cook udon noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and reserve a little of the cooking water (about 50 ml), which may be useful for adjusting the consistency of the sauce later. 2. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the grated Parmesan (or pecorino), miso and a little black pepper. Set aside. 3. In a frying pan, fry the chopped guanciale (or lardons) until golden brown and crisp. 4. Add the cooked udon noodles to the pan with the guanciale (or bacon) and toss well to coat the noodles with the sauce. 5. Off the heat, pour the egg and cheese mixture over the still-warm noodles. Mix immediately so that the heat from the noodles lightly cooks the eggs and forms a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the noodle cooking water to adjust the texture. 6. Arrange in bowls and garnish with freshly ground black pepper and chopped green onions for a touch of freshness.

Ingredients for 4 people : - 1l water - 2 sachets iRASSHAi dashi - 75g iRASSHAi miso - 25g red miso - 5g kombu seaweed - 10g dried bonito - 100g silken or firm tofu (according to your preference) - 15g wakame seaweed Steps : 1. Bring 1 liter of water to the boil in a saucepan. Once the water is simmering, add the dashi sachet and leave to infuse for 2 to 3 minutes. Heat the dashi in a saucepan over low heat without boiling. A gentle temperature will preserve all the richness of the dashi without losing any of its flavor. After infusion, remove the sachet and keep the broth warm. 2. Cut the tofu into 1 cm cubes. If you prefer a firmer texture, you can press the tofu lightly to remove excess water before cutting. 3. Mix in the white and red miso. To avoid lumps, first dilute the miso in a small amount of dashi, using a spoon or fine strainer, before adding it to the main broth. Mix well so that the miso dissolves completely. 4. Gently add the tofu cubes to the hot dashi. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to allow the tofu to warm up and absorb the flavors of the broth. Then add the rehydrated wakame seaweed and leave to warm in the soup for a further 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the seaweed, to preserve its slightly crunchy texture. 5. Taste the soup and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning with a little miso to taste. Serve the soup in individual bowls and garnish with chopped green onions.

Ingredients for 2 persons : - 2 large eggplants - 3 tablespoons iRASSHAi miso - 1 teaspoon cooking sake - 2 tablespoons sugar - 3 teaspoons water - Toasted sesame seeds - Chives or spring onions Steps : 1. Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthways. Tip: For an even more melt-in-the-mouth texture, soak the eggplants in salted water before cooking to remove their slight bitterness. 2. Make shallow diagonal incisions in the flesh of each eggplant half. 3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the eggplant halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flesh side up. Bake the eggplants for approximately 20-25 minutes. 4. While the eggplants are cooking, prepare the dengaku sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the miso, sake and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add a dose of water to loosen the sauce and set aside. 5. When the eggplants are cooked, remove from the oven and spread the sauce generously over them. 6. Place the eggplants under the grill for a few minutes, just long enough for the sauce to start caramelizing. Remove the eggplants from the grill and allow to cool slightly. 7. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion over the eggplants. 8. Serve hot or at room temperature with a bowl of white rice, or as an appetizer in a traditional Japanese meal.

Ingredients for 4 people : - 2 carrots - 2 handfuls snow peas (about 150 g) - 300 g zucchini - 300 g tender broccoli - A bunch of spring onions - A handful of mushrooms (your choice) - 1 piece fresh ginger - 1-2 cloves garlic - 1 tbsp. sesame oil - 1 tbsp. neutral oil - 4 tbsp. soy sauce - Sesame seeds for serving Preparation : 1. Wash, peel if necessary, then chop all vegetables: carrots into sticks, zucchinis into half-moons, broccoli into small florets, sliced spring onions (keeping stems), mushrooms into pieces. 2. Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the pressed garlic and grated ginger, then the mushrooms. Sauté for a few minutes until golden-brown. Set aside. 3. Pour a drizzle of neutral oil into the same pan. Sauté all vegetables over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, then deglaze with soy sauce. Stir well and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Serve hot and sprinkle with sesame seeds for the finishing touch!

Ingredients: - 500g chicken breast / boneless chicken thigh - 60 ml iRASSHAi soy sauce - 2 cases iRASSHAi mirin - 2 cases cooking sake - 2 cases sugar - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for cooking) - Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish) - Chopped chives or green onions (for garnish) Steps : 1. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir well to dissolve sugar completely. 2. Place the chicken in a shallow can. Pour half the marinade over the chicken, reserving the rest for later. Make sure all chicken pieces are well coated with marinade. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1-2 hours. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful the chicken will be. 3. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and drain slightly (save remaining marinade). Add the chicken pieces to the hot pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. 4. While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. The sauce will reduce and become thicker and syrupy. 5. Once the chicken is cooked, pour the thick teriyaki sauce over the chicken in the pan. Stir to coat the chicken pieces with the glazed sauce. 6. Transfer the teriyaki chicken to a serving dish. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions for a touch of freshness and flavor. 7. Serve teriyaki chicken with steamed white rice or soba noodles, and stir-fried vegetables for a complete and balanced meal. Enjoy your meal!

Quantities for 1 person: - 100 g rice - 120 g water at room temperature Step 1: Place the rice and water in a bowl to rinse. Drain in a fine sieve. Transfer it to the bowl and "petrate" it, rubbing the grains together. Rinse, drain. Repeat three times. This removes the starch that makes the rice sticky. Step 2: Add 100g rice to 100g water. Soak for 30 min to 2 hours at room temperature. Cover well (with a heavy lid that holds well). Cook over high heat for 5 to 6 min, without uncovering. Step 3: Reduce heat to minimum. Cook for 12 minutes, still without removing the lid. Step 4: Remove from heat and let stand for 10 min, still covered. This allows the rice to absorb any residual steam. You can then uncover and stir gently with a rice spatula. Step 5: Your rice is ready to enjoy, and all you have to do is add the topping of your choice! Furikake, umeboshi (Japanese apricot pickles) or miso powder, nori seaweed, the choice is yours!