Master Chef's Class: Chef Kuwakino's Beer-fermented Nukazuke - Dining with the Chef

Join Harry Sugiyama and Chef Kuwakino for a masterclass on Niigata's traditional cuisine, featuring simple, delicious dishes that perfectly complement the region's celebrated rice.

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★ Beer-fermented Nukazuke

Ingredients
Cucumber
Small tomato
Beer
Fresh rice bran
Salt

Directions
1. Prepare the marinade. Roast the fresh rice bran (nuka) to evaporate some of the moisture. Add beer and salt equal to 10–13% of the rice bran's weight, and mix well.
2. Blanch the tomatoes, and peel. Pickle alongside the whole cucumbers, overnight, in the nuka mixture.
3. Wash the vegetables gently, and cut into bite-sized pieces.


★ Kirizai

Ingredients
Natto
Japanese Pickles (Takuan, Nozawana, Miso-pickled myoga)

Directions
1. Finely chop the pickles.
2. Place the natto in a bowl and top with the minced pickles.
3. Mix everything well, and eat with hot, steamed rice.


★ Steamed Rice

Ingredients
300 g Rice
340-360 ml water

Directions
1. Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear.
2. Put the rice and water in a clay pot. Cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. When it boils, turn off the heat. Let it steam, covered, for 15 minutes.


★ Miso Soup

Ingredients
Water
Katsuobushi
Miso
Naganegi
Daikon
Green beans
Momen tofu (firm tofu)

Directions
1. To make dashi, add katsuobushi to a pot of boiling water. Turn off the heat, and strain through a paper towel.
2. Add the vegetables and tofu to the dashi, and simmer over medium heat until tender. Turn off the heat.
3. Stir in the miso. Serve in a bowl while hot.