Enoki Mushroom & Bok Choy Salad with Ume Wasabi Twist!

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