00:00Sometimes the best recipes happen by complete accident. I was experimenting with some leftover
00:05enoki mushrooms and bok choy sitting in my fridge. I hadn't planned on developing it
00:10into a formal recipe, but the result was so surprisingly good that I just had to share
00:15it with you. For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website, just google wasabi
00:20eye space statue to find me.
00:21Let's start with one bok choy. First, we're going to thinly trim the bottom of the bok
00:26choy stem, then make a crosswise incision about 1cm deep. This little trick helps them
00:32cook evenly, reduces our blanching time and makes it so much easier to separate those
00:38leaves from the core later.
00:40Bring your water to just before boiling, around 95 degrees celsius. The ideal temperature is
00:45just below that rolling boil. When it's almost there, prepare a bowl of ice-cold water and
00:51set it by the stove. First, immerse only those thicker stems into the pot for exactly the
00:5630 seconds, then submerge the rest of those tender leaves and continue blanching for an
01:05additional 15 seconds. If you need substitution, spinach or napa cabbage work beautifully, though
01:10napa cabbage might need slightly longer cooking time.
01:15Immediately transfer the blanched bok choy into the ice-water bath to stop the cooking process.
01:23Okay, it's been about 5 minutes and my bok choy is cool enough to touch, so I'm going
01:27to use the cuts I made earlier to gently pull the leaves apart from the base. It's important
01:32that you squeeze it really thoroughly before this step as any excess moisture left on the
01:37leaves can potentially dilute a flavourful dressing and make the final dish watery. No one wants
01:43that.
01:44Okay, once they're all separated, cut them in half and set them aside for later.
01:50Next, we're gonna grab a saucepan and combine 4 tablespoons of dashi stock, half tablespoon
01:57of mirin, 1 teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce, and 1-4 teaspoon of salt. Let this mixture boil
02:03for about 1 minute on medium heat. I'm using the most common bonita flake and konbu
02:08合わせ dashi, but if you're making this plant-based, swap it for konbu dashi or shiitake konbu合わせ
02:13dashi. Also, one thing I want to add is that later we will be adding umeboshi, and if your plants
02:19are homemade or particularly salty, you might want to skip the salt in this sauce. Now
02:25I'm
02:25gonna add my enoki mushrooms. I've already washed them and cut off the woody base, so
02:30now I can just tear them apart and drop them straight into the pot. We're just
02:35gonna cook those for a couple of minutes. And if you want to use a different kind of
02:40mushrooms, make sure you thinly slice them so that they cook quickly.
02:44Once they're slightly softened, turn off the heat and add your bok choy from earlier.
02:49Give it a gentle mix, then transfer it to a heatproof bowl and leave it to cool slightly.
02:55While we wait, let's prepare some umeboshi plums. I've got two here and I'm going
03:00to remove the pits and finely chop the flesh until it becomes like a paste.
03:06Now, I mentioned this earlier, but in case you missed it, if you're using homemade umeboshi
03:10like sometimes do, keep in mind that these are often a lot saltier than store-bought versions,
03:15so I recommend skipping the salt in the sauce. And if you can't find real umeboshi, store-bought
03:21paste in a tube works perfectly well too.
03:24Okay, this is looking good, so I'm just going to scrape it straight into my slightly cooled
03:29mixture and crush about one tablespoon of bonito flakes directly into the bowl. These will
03:34partially dissolve, adding another incredible layer of umami complexity to a dish.
03:40Next I've got one teaspoon of wasabi paste plus one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and
03:46we're just going to mix those until all those flavours are evenly distributed.
03:53This versatile wasabi eye can be enjoyed in two delicious ways. You can serve immediately
03:58while still warm for a comforting side dish, or refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes for
04:05a refreshing cold option.
04:08Upon serving, garnish with a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds and some crushed nori seaweed
04:14for the final touch. So they have it, a simple yet elegant wasabi eye that transforms humble
04:20ingredients into something truly special.
04:23Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
04:30Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook, grab the
04:34written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up
04:38on your screen.
04:39Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now, and if you want
04:43to
04:43watch more similar videos, don't miss my salad playlist popping up on your screen as well.
04:48Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye.
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