sofrito

alicante 2011

tapas 'bento'

Bento - Hiryozu burgers

These are just patties made of a pack of drained and pressed tofu mashed with a fork and mixed with
beni-shoga (pickled red ginger)
chopped spring onions
chopped reconstituted dried mushrooms
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sake
dash of mirin and soy sauce
generous pinch of salt

Spoon out portions and fry in a wide pan for a couple of minutes before turning, then remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.













The lunch box is made of a layer of brown rice, and lightly pickled cucumber and radishes.

The other compartment is just a plastic wrapped bottle filled with sudachi flavoured ponzu sauce. (These burgers are also good with Thai sweet chili sauce.)

Bento - Spicy Mackerel Cous Cous

To one cup of cous cous add:
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon Douban Jiang paste
1 finely chopped dried shiitake mushroom
Half a teaspoon marmite

Cover and leave for 10 minutes

In the meantime cut up into cubes:
2 tomatoes
1/4 cucumber
Half an apple - sprinkle this with 1 tablespoon vinegar/lemon juice
1/4 onion (optional)

Add the tomato to the cous cous and stir (so cous cous can absorb the juices)
Add cucumber and apple (and raw onion) pieces
Add 1 grated garlic clove (I use a wasabi grater for this)
1 tablespoon good quality soy sauce
And half a can of flaked mackerel (dried in a pan and seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, sake and a touch of sesame oil - or just drained)
Stir to combine together.

Line bento box with 2 shredded cabbage leaves.
Spread over cous cous
Over the top layer slices of tomato.

On the tomato slices sprinkle herbs, hot pepper sauce (Cholula), sesame oil, olive oil and sea salt.