Kani Stick Salad

Make this Jap-joint favorite right in your own kitchen. The secret? Don’t settle for regular mayo—make sure to use the Japanese kind.

Serves 2  

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 leaves iceberg or leaf lettuce

1/4 cup Japanese (or regular) cucumber

2 kani sticks

3 1/2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise

kani sticks and Japanese mayonnaise for topping   

1 1/2 tablespoons tobiko (fish roe) for topping  

Procedure:

1  Take the lettuce and cucumber and slice thinly to about matchstick-width strips.

2  Cut kani sticks in half lengthwise and break apart into very thin strips.

3  In a bowl, mix together lettuce, cucumber, and kani strips, and mayonnaise in equal parts.

4  Drizzle salad with mayonnaise, and top with kani sticks and tobiko.

Tuscan Fish Melt

Paired with pasta cooked in a slightly tangy tomato-based sauce, this sophisticated dish will go well with a glass of your favorite white wine. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the tapenade

2 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons capers

1 cup pitted black olives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon anchovies

600 grams cream dory fillet

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon of tapenade (see recipe above)

20-gram mozzarella cheese slices

1/4 cup garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup tomato sauce

600 grams spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

basil leaves

chopped parsley

Procedure:

1  Make the olive tapenade: Blend garlic, capers, black olives, lemon juice, black pepper,  olive oil, and anchovies in a food processor until smooth. 

2  Wash and cut dory fillet into 150-gram pieces and season with salt and pepper. 

3  Lightly dredge fish in flour. 

4  Heat oil in a nonstick pan and cook fish until golden brown. Put tapenade over each fish fillet. 

5  Top each with a mozzarella cheese slices. 

6  Broil in the oven or put in the oven toaster to melt the cheese. 

7  Make the tomato pasta: In a pan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add tomato sauce. 

8  Add spaghetti noodles to sauce and toss with Parmesan cheese. 

9  Season with salt and pepper. 

10  To serve, plate the pasta and the cheese- and tapenade-topped fish fillet. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, basil leaves, and chopped parsley.

Cured Pork with Sweet Sauce

Looking for something lean and healthy? Give pork a try. And don't skip the curing process—it's the secret to juicy, flavorful meal.

Serves 5  

Prep Time 5 minutes  

Cooking Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons rock salt

8 tablespoons honey, divided

1 cup cold water

4 to 6 (200-gram) pieces pork chop

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

2 (1/8-inch) slices ginger 

salt and pepper to taste

pickled vegetables, to serve (optional)

Procedure:

1  To cure the pork chops, dissolve salt and 4 tablespoons honey in water. Soak pork chops in the solution and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.

2  Wipe chops dry. Heat oil and melt butter in a large, thick pan over high heat. Sear 1 to 2 pork chops at a time then set aside. Once all the pork chops have been seared, put them back in the pan.

3  Add chicken stock or water and ginger slices; simmer for 5 minutes turning the pork chops once. Add remaining honey and season lightly with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until pork chops are coated with the glaze.