i. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center of the kabocha.

ii. Lay your squash on a stable cutting board and use a sharp knife to shave off the tough green skin in downward strokes.

iii. Once peeled, chop the flesh into large, irregular chunks.

i. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (356°F). Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt, dried herb mix, and melted butter. Fold in thin ribbons of tender kabocha peel.

ii. Spread in a single layer and bake on an upper rack for 10 minutes until golden and crisp.

i. While we wait for the oven, melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion turns translucent and sweet but not browned. Stop just before golden.

ii. Stir in the kabocha chunks with another pinch of salt. Toss for 1-2 minutes to coat in butter and start softening the surface. Seasoning now helps the squash absorb salt evenly later and prevents flat tasting purée.

iii. When the edges start to break, add water.

iv. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin crushes easily with a spoon. Keep the bubbling gentle to preserve color and a fresh, sweet aroma.

v. If liquid reduces too fast, add a splash of hot water to maintain a shallow “just-covered” level.

i. Take the pot off heat and blend with a blender (or immersion blender), starting low and moving to high, sweeping the head across the pot to catch fibers.

ii. When smooth, add cold unsalted butter and blend 20-30 seconds more to micro-emulsify for gloss and body.

i. If you want the kind of texture that makes guests ask “Did you really make this at home?”, pour your blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a clean pot.

ii. Use the back of a ladle or spoon to press the puree through, leaving behind any lingering fibers or skin fragments. Yes, it’s an extra dish to wash, but the payoff is soup so smooth it coats a spoon in a glossy, unbroken ribbon.

i. Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in heavy cream and milk (you can use half and half if it’s available). Warm gently over low heat until steamy and slightly thickened, but do not boil.

ii. Add another pinch of salt and a sprinkle nutmeg. Set the heat to low and let the soup barely simmer, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Once dairy enters the pot, high heat is your enemy. Boiling causes the milk proteins to curdle and the cream to separate into greasy puddles. Keep it at a lazy simmer.

iii. Turn off the heat and dissolve white miso. Make sure to taste test at this point!

i. Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Crack white pepper over the surface, scatter a handful of those kabocha-skin croutons on top, and finish with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley for a pop of green against the orange.

i. Add your shiso leaves, olive oil, roasted cashews, pine nuts, garlic (core removed), salt, white miso paste, grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, white sesame seeds, and anchovy paste to your food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a chunky paste, then process continuously for about 30 seconds until you achieve a smooth, vibrant green sauce.

i. When the marinating time is almost finished, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt until it tastes like mild seawater (about 1% salt by weight). Add your pasta and cook for about 1 minute longer than the package directions suggest.

While the pasta bubbles away, prepare a large bowl of ice water and set a colander nearby. You want everything ready before that timer goes off.

ii. The moment your pasta finishes cooking, drain it quickly in your prepared colander, then immediately plunge it into the ice water bath. Swish the noodles around for about 30 seconds until they feel completely cool to the touch.

i. Transfer your well-drained pasta to a large mixing bowl.

ii. Add the shiso pesto, tossing gently but thoroughly until every strand glistens with that beautiful green coating.

iii. Divide between your chilled serving bowls and spoon the marinated tomatoes generously over the top, letting some of that bright marinade pool around the edges.

iv. Finish with a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.

v. If you want some meaty topping, I recommend using dry cured ham to keep the dish refreshing!

vi: A stunning plate of emerald-green pasta crowned with jewel-bright tomatoes, ready to impress your dinner guests or treat yourself to something special on a summer night.

Pat the bone-in chops dry, then use a fork to pierce the surface every ½ inch on both sides. Give the fat edge a few extra pokes, then run the tip of your knife between the fat cap and the meat to snip any silver skin.

Pound the pork so that its thickness is approximately 2cm. This will tenderize it and help your pork pieces cook evenly.

Halve the asparagus, cut the carrots into batons, and trim the stems of the shiitake mushrooms. I also like to cut a decorative star on the cap of the mushroom, but this is optional.

To make the marinade, whisk together awase miso, light brown sugar, sake, mirin, sesame oil, grated apple, ginger, garlic, and water beforehand until combined so that the marinade is attached to the ingredients evenly.

Scoop the chops, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and carrots into a zip-top bag with the marinade. Press out the air and massage until every nook is coated.

Lay the bag flat in the fridge for about 4 hours.

Apple’s malic acid plus ginger’s protease soften muscle fibers, while koji-based enzymes in miso tackle collagen!

Line a sheet pan with parchment, lay the miso-marinated chops in the center, and scatter the shiitake, asparagus, and carrot sticks around them in a single layer.

Slide the tray into a 250°F (120°C) oven and roast for 35 minutes. The vegetables will soften and start to pick up a light tan edge-perfect groundwork for the high-heat finish coming up next.

When the 35-minute roast is done, crank the oven up to 425°F / 220°C. While you wait for it to reach the higher temperature, you can sear the pork.

Pour some neutral oil into a large frying pan, then heat it over medium until it’s nice and hot. It’s important not to overcrowd the pan, so if you don’t have a large enough pan you can sear each pork chop individually like I did.

It’s important that the pan is preheated thoroughly, since we only want to brown the surface, not cook it any further.

Once the pan is fully heated, sear the first side for a full minute, flip, and sear the second side for another minute.

Finish by tipping the chop onto its side and sear the fat, rotating until the edges are nicely browned.

Transfer the chops to a plate and tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes. This short break evens out the internal temperature and lets the juices thicken and settle back into the meat.

Your oven should (hopefully) be preheated by now, so return the tray of vegetables back to the oven for another 8-10 minutes until the shiitake caps blister, asparagus tips bronze, and carrot edges look candy-sweet.

Unwrap the chops, put the roasted vegetables next to them, and add a finishing touch: shichimi for a little heat, a bit of yuzu zest for some brightness, or finely chopped shiso leaves for a fresh boost.

Other great toppings include toasted sesame, ground sansho, or any citrus zest you like.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

While you wait for the salmon, melt butter with olive oil together in a frying pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and continue cooking on low heat.

Watch carefully as the garlic transforms from its raw white color to a beautiful golden brown.

When the garlic has reached the ideal golden color, add the rice to the pan. Immediately pour the sake (or dry white wine as an alternative) over the rice. Use a spatula to break up any clumps, making sure each grain is coated with the aromatic garlic-infused oil.

At this point, increase the heat to medium.

Once the rice and garlic have thoroughly combined, season with salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley. Continue mixing to distribute the seasonings evenly throughout the rice.

Allow the rice to cook until the grains have separated and some parts begin to develop a slight crispness. Next comes the flavor-sealing final touch – pour soy sauce down the side of the pan rather than directly onto the rice.

This technique allows the soy sauce to heat quickly against the hot pan before it reaches the rice, developing more complex flavors.

Mix everything thoroughly to incorporate the soy sauce evenly throughout the dish. Then turn off the heat and let the rice stand in the pan until serving.

5 minutes before the salmon is finished resting with the salt, heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Throw in your asparagus, along with a bit of salt and pepper. Fry for 4-8 minutes depending on the thickness, then add the enoki mushrooms and stir fry for a further 1-2 minutes.

Delicate varieties of mushrooms like enoki, only takes 1-2 minutes. If using other kinds of mushrooms, add them to the pan earlier to allow enough time to cook together with the asparagus.

Once cooked, transfer to a warm plate. We will reuse the pan, so turn off the stove and save the pan for later.

After the salmon has rested, check that the surface is dry again, the salt will have drawn out more moisture so you’ll likely need to pat them with kitchen paper once more. Then, lightly coat the salmon all over with a thin, even layer of all-purpose flour.

Shake off any excess flour as it can burn in the pan.

Next, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan you used for the mushrooms and heat it to medium-high. Pop the salmon in there, skin side down. Use a spatula to press down on the salmon for the first 30 seconds to make sure the skin touches the pan.

Cook until the skin is golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness.

When the skin is crispy, carefully take the salmon out of the pan and set it aside – it should not be fully cooked at this point. Now for a crucial step that a lot of people might skip: wipe the pan clean with paper towels.

The oils and juices that accumulate during the initial frying contain compounds that can impart a fishy odor to your final dish.

After cleaning the pan, turn the heat down low and add the butter. Once the butter’s melted but not browned, put the salmon back in the pan, again skin-side down.

Now, use the French arrosé technique (baste) by tilting the pan and collecting the melted butter in the pan. Then, use a spoon to continuously ladle the hot butter over the flesh side of the salmon.

This basting technique is key for even cooking and getting that perfect flavor. The hot butter really brings the heat in a way that hits the top of the salmon while also infusing it with flavor.

To make sure everything goes just right, tilt the pan a bit away from you, grab the butter with a spoon, and pour it over the salmon’s flesh side every 3-4 seconds. Keep going for about 1-2 minutes until the salmon’s flesh turns opaque but remains moist.

When the salmon is fully cooked (it’s opaque throughout but still moist), remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack. Let it rest until the sauce is ready.

Placing the salmon on a rack prevents it from sitting in its own juices or excess butter, which would make the crispy skin soggy.

In the same pan, add more butter, soy sauce, mirin, and light brown sugar. Cook this mixture over low heat for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, to create a smooth, emulsified sauce.

This combo is what we Japanese call “bata shoyu” (butter soy sauce), affectionately known as the “golden combo.” The fats in butter help carry the umami compounds in soy sauce, while the glutamic acid in soy sauce enhances the butter’s richness.

Keep the heat very low to prevent the sauce from breaking (separating) and burning. Both butter and soy sauce can burn easily.

Gently reheat the garlic rice if necessary, then make a bed of garlic rice on each serving plate and put the salmon on top with the skin-side facing up.

Then arrange the asparagus and mushrooms next to the salmon. Pour the butter-soy sauce over and around the salmon.

Garnish with a sliced lemon and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you’re waiting, slice the sausage and chop the bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms. It’s a good idea to prepare the ingredients before you start cooking.

Once the water is boiling, add about a teaspoon of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add a little oil and stir-fry the sausage, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms until the onion is translucent and the sausage is nicely browned.

Once everything’s cooked, just transfer the ingredients to a plate and set them aside.

In a separate saucepan, mix together 300ml of the pasta water with all the sauce ingredients.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and let it simmer for about five minutes to let all the flavors blend together.

Once everything’s simmering away nicely, you can start to add the potato starch slurry to thicken the sauce.

For best results, add the slurry a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. This method helps keep lumps from forming.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, just drain it through a colander. Next, heat a little lard in the same wok you used earlier. Once it’s warm, add the drained spaghetti and toss to coat.

Place the lard-coated spaghetti on a plate. Top with the sautéed sausage and vegetables, then pour the thickened sauce over everything. Serve right away while it’s still hot.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Heat a pan on medium-high and add unsalted butter. Once melted, add finely diced garlic, ginger and yellow onion, and fry until fragrant.

Add the ground meat, diced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and finely diced carrot. Stir fry everything together until the meat is cooked through.

Add the curry powder and cake flour, and mix until evenly distributed.

Add the ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and mix. Finally, add the chicken stock and a bay leaf, and simmer until the liquid has almost gone.

Once thick and soupless, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and remove the bay leaf.

Serve with white rice and your favorite toppings. I used chopped green onions, dry red chili pepper and an onsen tamago.

Enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Finely chop the onion, cabbage and garlic chives. Grate the garlic and fresh ginger and add them to a large mixing bowl along with ground beef, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, red wine, dijon mustard, cumin powder, coriander powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg.

Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Take a gyoza wrapper and place approximately one tablespoon of filling in the middle. Be careful not to overfill the wrapper and leave a finger-width border around the edge.

Wet the border with water and fold the wrapper in half without letting the edges touch.

Pinch one side and then push a flap of the underside edge over your fingernail to make a pleat. Pull your finger away and press it down, then repeat until the gyoza is completely sealed.

Press the pleats down to secure and tap the bottom to make it flat.

Repeat until all the wrappers and filling are used up.

Heat a frying pan (one with a lid) on medium and add oil. Once hot, place the gyoza in the pan. Because we tapped the bottom after shaping, they should stand upright. Fry until the base is crispy.

Once golden and crispy underneath, pour freshly boiled water around the pan and place a lid on. Steam until the liquid is almost gone.

Remove the lid and cook for a few more minutes until the liquid has completely gone, then remove from the heat.

Mix Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili bean sauce (tobanjan), chili oil, sugar, grated ginger, finely chopped green onions and thinly sliced dry red chili peppers in a small bowl until well combined.

Transfer the gyoza to serving plates with the crispy side facing up and serve with your homemade dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

The pieces should be smaller than bitesize but chunkier than ground chicken. This will make the filling more juicy with a better texture. Keep in mind that the bigger the chicken pieces, the harder it will be to wrap.

Add the finely chopped chicken thigh, ground chicken, yellow onions, perilla leaves, umeboshi paste, green cabbage, garlic chives, sake, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, grated ginger and sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl.

Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Take a gyoza wrapper, add about 1 tbsp of filling to the center, leaving a finger-width border around the edge. Wet the edge lightly with cold water.

Gently fold the wrapper in half but don’t press the edges together yet. Pinch one corner before you start pleating.

Push the edge of the wrapper over your fingernail, then remove and press to make each pleat.

Repeat until you reach the end. Press to secure.

Repeat until all the filling and wrappers are used up.

Heat a frying pan on medium and add a drizzle of cooking oil. Once hot, place the gyoza in the pan and fry until the bottom is crispy.

Pour freshly boiled water around the pan. Be careful of splashing oil.

Place a lid on the pan and steam until almost all of the water is gone.

Remove the lid and continue to cook until the water has completely gone. Then drizzle with sesame oil and fry for one more minute.

Remove from the heat.

Divide onto serving plates and serve with ponzu sauce.

Enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Finely chop the onions, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Grate the cheese, garlic and ginger and add them to a bowl with the ground pork, salt, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lard, curry powder and sake.

Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

In this recipe, I shape my gyoza in “windmill style”. For detailed instructions and why I use this method for age-gyoza, see the section below.

Preheat the oil to 170°C (338°F). Once hot, add the gyoza and fry for 2 minutes.

Flip them over and fry on the other side for another 2 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Transfer to a wire rack to allow any excess oil to drain off.

Enjoy with ponzu or your favorite dipping sauce!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Make a “gyoza station” with a small bowl of water, the filling and a plate or tray for the completed ones.

Take a wrapper and add between 1/2 and 1 tbsp of filling. Be careful not to overfill, otherwise they will be difficult to close. Leave a generous border and wet it with water.

Pinch two parallel sides and push them to the center to create a cross shape with the edges.

Pinch all of the edges together firmly to make sure there aren’t any holes.

Create the windmill effect by folding each flap down, following the same direction.

Pinch the center once more to secure.

Place your completed gyoza on a lightly flour-dusted plate and repeat until all of your wrappers and filling are used up.

Start boiling a large pot of water with salt for the pasta. While you wait, add oil and sliced garlic to a frying pan and heat it on low.

When the garlic starts to turn golden, remove them from the oil. They won’t be used again in this recipe, so you can either eat them or serve them on another dish (they’re great with salads, etc!). Be careful not to burn the garlic as this can add a bitter taste to the oil.

Add the red onion and anchovy to the garlic-infused oil and fry until the onions have softened.

Once the onions are soft, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente (chewy and firm). This is usually 1-2 minutes before the time stated on the packaging.

Add the crushed tomatoes and white wine to the frying pan and mix well.

Pour the cream into the pan and heat gently until almost boiling, stirring occasionally. It’s important not to use a high heat as this can cause the cream to heat too quickly and split or curdle.

Once the cream is warmed through, reduce the heat and add the uni. Break it up, and mix it into the sauce. Optional: save a small amount of uni to decorate the top at the end!

Continue to simmer the sauce on low while you wait for the pasta to finish cooking. Add a small amount of pasta water to make it glossy and stick to the pasta better.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce along with the unsalted butter. Turn off the heat and mix well.

The butter will melt into the sauce, mix until the pasta is thoroughly covered.

Dish up and top with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley. If you saved some uni you can place it on the top with a parsley leaf for added decoration!

Enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements