Fantastic recipes from BBC’s Masterchef finalist and author of No Sushi, Andrew Kojima, just in time for celebrating the Summer Tokyo Olympics with friends, commencing on the 23rd July.

Everything you need from a welcome drink to starter, main and dessert, this Japanese-inspired menu from Chef Koj will take the stress out of meal planning and leave time for you and your friends to cheer on your Olympic athlete favourites. 

Kombucha Negroni
Salmon Tataki with Ponzu Sauce
Chicken Curry Noodles
Yuzu Tart

Kombucha Negroni

Ingredients:

  • 50ml gin
  • 25ml Campari
  • 10ml lemon juice
  • 1/2tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 125ml Kombucha
  • Orange/lemon wedges

Instructions:

  • Build over ice

Salmon Tataki with Ponzu Sauce

Ingredients:

Ponzu Sauce

  • 45ml soy sauce
  • 15ml yuzu juice
  • 10ml rice vinegar
  • 15ml mirin
  • 15ml dashi stock

Salmon and garnish

  • 250g salmon fillet (skinned)
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1/2tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

Prep ahead: Ponzu Sauce

  • Stir all of the ingredients together
  • You can make this dressing in a sterilised jar as it will keep for several weeks in the fridge

Prep ahead: Cut the salmon into fillets

  • Cut the slmon into fillets 5-7cm wide by 15-20cm long

Prep ahead: Garnishes

  • Finely slice the spring onions and place in iced water for 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry
  • Toast the sesame seeds

Sear the outer surface salmon using any of these methods

  • Place the salmon on a baking rack or in a colander and pour scalding hot water over all the raw surfaces OR
  • Place the salmon on a baking rack and blowtorch all of the raw surfaces OR
  • Sear the salmon for a matter of seconds by contact with a non-stick, oiled frying pan

Plate Up

  • Once the salmon has cooled, carve it into slices about 1cm thick
  • Arrange the slices of salmon on a plate
  • Drizzle over the ponzu sauce
  • Top with spring onions and sesame seeds
  • You can also add a little shichimi togarashi if you like spice

Chicken Curry Noodles

Ingredients:

Marinated soft boiled eggs

  • 2 medium free range eggs (at room temperature)
  • 50ml soy sauce
  • 25ml mirin

Soup

  • 70g medium hot curry roux blocks
  • 700ml water
  • 5g sachet of dashi powder
  • (Vegetable oil, for frying)

To finish

  • 400g udon noodles (or 200g dried udon noodles)
  • 2 chicken thighs (skin on) or 1 chicken breast
  • 1 head of pak choi
  • (Soft boiled eggs as above)

Instructions

Prep: Soft boiled eggs

  • Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil
  • Place the eggs in a basket or sieve and boil for exactly 5m 45s
  • Plunge the eggs into running, cold water
  • Peel the eggs and place them into a freezer bag to marinate with the mirin and soy sauce

Prep: Make the soup

  • Bring 700ml of water to the boil in a pot, then reduce to a simmer
  • Dissolve the dashi powder into the water
  • Add the curry roux blocks. Stir until the blocks are dissolved, then reduce to a low heat

To finish

  • Fry the chicken, skin side down, in a frying pan with some oil (you can add a glove of garlic for extra flavour)
  • When the chicken skin is brown and crispy, flip it over and cook until the meat is cooked through (or you can pop it in the oven, skin side up to finish cooking)
  • Bring a pot of water to the boil and blanche the pak choi for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pak choi from the water and set aside to drain.
  • Add the noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to the instructions but test them while they are cooking. When they are ‘al dente’, drain the noodles in a strainer.
  • Place the noodles in a bowl. Add soup to the level of the noodles, then add the garnish: the chicken (sliced), the pak choi (blanched) and the soft boiled egg (sliced in half).

Yuzu Tart

Ingredients:

  • 180g plain flour
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 90g unsalted butter, diced
  • 3 egg yolks and 1 egg white

Filling

  • 4 unwaxed lemons
  • 50ml yuzu juice
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 150g unsalted butter

Instructions:

Pastry

  • To make the pastry, put the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add the diced butter and pulse until well combined. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and continue to mix until it comes together into a dough. Remove, shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for about an hour, until pliable but not sticky to the touch.
     
  • Preheat the oven to 190C. Roll out the pastry until about ½cm thick, and use to line a greased 22cm fluted tart tin. Refrigerate until firm, then line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, and blind bake for about 15 minutes until golden, then remove the paper and beans and brush the base with egg white. Put back in the oven for another 8 minutes, then remove and turn off the oven.

Filling

  • To make the filling, finely zest the lemons into a heatproof bowl, add 225g caster sugar and rub together with your fingers. Stir in the eggs, yuzu juice and the juice of 3½ lemons, and then set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Heat, whisking gently but continuously, until it thickens to the texture of lemon curd: this should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, leaving the pan where it is, and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the butter and process with a blender until smooth. Scoop into the tart case, smooth the top and allow to cool completely.
     
  • Meanwhile, cut the remaining lemon into thin slices and remove the pips. Soften in the pan of simmering water for 10 minutes. Dissolve the remaining 50g sugar in 50ml water in a wide pan, and bring to the boil. Add the lemon slices and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of the tart. Brush with the remaining syrup, and allow to set before serving.

Credit Line: All recipes belong to Andrew Kojima. To find out more information about Andrew’s Japanese Cuisine course with Learning with Experts visit https://www.learningwithexperts.com/foodanddrink/courses/japanese-cuisine-andrew-kojima.

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