Simplicity is a hallmark of Japanese home cooking. Sometimes, it’s simplicity to the point where you actually have to ask yourself, how does this require a recipe? Often, it doesn’t. Most of my grandma’s “recipes” were like that. Take the scribbled list of ingredients and figure it out. This list is adapted from a recipe in Nancy Singleton Hachisu’s Japanese Farm Food, a book I’m just starting to dig in to.
There’s no hidden secret here. The deliciousness is in the simplicity and the presentation.
A word on the sesame seeds. It’s the most important item in the list. Don’t cut corners and use the already toasted goma-ae canister sitting in your cupboard. Toasting raw sesame seeds in a pan over medium-high makes 1000% difference in the final dish. Toasting takes just a couple of minutes. You can figure out the rest from the photo. It really is that simple.
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