蒸し物 Mushimono (Steamed Dish)

* チダイ蕪蒸し　Chidai kabura-mushi Steamed crimson sea bream topped with grated turnip I don't think professional Japanese chefs would ever use same fish for both broiled dish and steamed dish, but I did so, due to the low-budget nature of my kaiseki project. ;P Anyway, this was my very first time trying out kabura-mushi, steamed fish with grated tunip topping. The dish is served with dashi-based soup thickened with starch poured all over. I said grated turnip, but actually whipped eggwhite is usually added to the turnip to make it white and fluffy. The ginkgo nuts and boiled lily bulb give a nice accent to the soft and smooth turnip topping, and the dashi soup brings the taste of the topping and sea bream together. It is an authentic dish that warms you up on a cold autumn/winter night. I wished I could have served this kabura-mushi in a bowl with a matching lid like this, but I don't have anything like that and I couldn't find one at the daiso 100-yen shop. * Categories: Japanese