きんぴら牛蒡

Sautéed Burdock

Known as Gobo in Japan, burdock root comes from the burdock plant. Similar in shape to parsnips and carrots, it is slender and brown with a crispy white coloured flesh and a sweet aroma. This simple dish is a Japanese classic.

SERVES 6–8 AS A SIDE OR SNACK

250 g (9 oz) gobo (burdock root)

2 teaspoons Japanese rice vinegar

1 small carrot, peeled

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1½ tablespoons sake

1½ tablespoons mirin

2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar

2½ tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

shichimi togarashi (seven spice mix),

for sprinkling, optional

Roughly scrape the skin of the gobo with a sharp knife, then cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces and finely julienne. Put the julienned strips into a bowl with 625 ml (21½ fl oz/2½ cups) water and the rice vinegar. Leave for about 15 minutes to remove some of the bitterness from the gobo. Drain well.

Meanwhile, cut the carrot into 5 cm (2 in) lengths, then finely julienne.

Heat the vegetable and sesame oils in a saucepan over medium–high heat, then add the gobo and carrot and stir to combine well with the oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and softened.

Add the sake, mirin, sugar and 1 tablespoon water to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is almost absorbed, then add the soy sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot or spread out on a plate and allow to cool—the flavour will improve on sitting for a few hours. Divide among small dishes and, if you like, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi before serving.

Left: Remove the outer skin of the gobo with a sharp knife.

Right: When clean, finely julienne the gobo.