A New Year’s Eve feast with a hint of Japanese
Stay inside wearing pyjamas with this menu of party favourites inspired by the country’s cuisine
There’s a warped perception that staying at home for New Year’s Eve is the epitome of wintertime lameness. Nah. How much fun is it being smothered by a sea of parkas at Nathan Phillips Square, riding the Vomit Comet or wandering the streets waiting for an Uber ride under surge pricing?
Most of my friends and family — many of whom are parents who can’t be bothered to find a babysitter or are burnt out from Christmas — would rather stay toasty at home in their pyjamas. Still, New Year’s is a cause for celebration, so here’s an easy and slightly decadent meal to make for you and your small family on the night of Dec. 31.
Since you’re not making appetizers for 20 guests, you can spend a bit more on ingredients and not stress out about whether you’re making enough snacks.
This menu offers a Japanese twist on party favourites Oysters Rockefeller, devilled eggs and lamb chops.
Why the Japanese influence? It gives your taste buds a break from turkey and stuffing you had just a few days ago and the light, slightly grassy flavours of wasabi and matcha, as well as the briny saltiness of salmon roe go hand-in-hand with bubbly, a crisp white wine or, of course, sake served hot or cold.
Sriracha and nori (dried seaweed) can be bought at mainstream supermarkets, but you might have to head to an Asian grocer for Kewpie Mayonnaise, a popular brand of Japanese mayonnaise (look for the creepy naked baby doll mascot).
It’s creamier and sweeter than regular mayonnaise since it uses rice vinegar rather than lemon.
Salmon roe can be picked up at fishmongers including Diana’s Seafood or Korean grocers such as Galleria. Alternatively, if you can’t find ikura, you can substitute with capelin roe, the little crunchy orange dots on a California roll.
While at the Asian grocer, pick up some matcha powder in the tea section (or you can find it at bulk food stores).
Baked Oysters with Kewpie Mayo
Star Tested Upgrade the raw oyster plate with the addition of crispy Panko crumbs and salmon eggs bursting with sweet and salty brine.
Choose medium-sized oysters that are on the sweeter side, such as Kusshi oysters. If you don’t want to splurge on the salmon eggs (expect to pay $13 to $16 for a small jar), opt for capelin roe, which is a fraction of the price. These eggs are much tinier and add more of a crunchy texture but have much less of that desirable, briny kick.
1/2 cup (125 mL) Kewpie mayonnaise 1/2 cup (125 mL) panko crumbs or dried bread crumbs 12 fresh oysters, shucked and still in its half shell 3 tbsp (45 mL) salmon caviar
In a small bowl, mix together Kewpie mayo and bread crumbs. Set aside.
Arrange oysters on a small baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. If oysters aren’t balancing, crumple a bit of foil around the oyster shell for support.
Using a spoon, spread a small dollop of mayonnaise mixture on top of each oyster, about 1 tbsp. Bake at 450F (230 C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until mayonnaise mixture starts to brown and crisp up.
Transfer oysters to serving plate. Garnish each oyster with 4 to 5 salmon roe. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Sriracha Devilled Eggs
Star Tested While Sriracha is a Thai condiment, the “spicy mayo” combo of the chili sauce and mayonnaise has become a fixture in North Americanized Japanese dishes including salmon pizza and spicy tuna rolls.
Here, the yolks are given the spicy mayo treatment, making them extra creamy and hot for the holidays. Add more if your guests can handle the extra heat.
6 large eggs 1/4 cup (60 mL) Kewpie mayonnaise 1 tsp (5 mL) white vinegar 2 tsp (10 mL) Sriracha 1/8 tsp (1/2 mL) table salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped green onion
Place eggs in a medium-sized saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Cover. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a rapid boil. Remove pan from heat and let sit covered for 10 to 12 minutes.
Drain and submerge eggs in a bowl of ice-cold water. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to cool down completely before cracking shells and peeling eggs.
Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully pop out yolks with a gentle squeeze. Place yolks in a mixing bowl and arrange cooked egg whites on a serving dish.
Add mayonnaise, vinegar, Sriracha and salt to bowl of yolks. Mash everything together with a fork until a smooth and creamy paste forms.
Using a spoon, place a dollop of egg yolk mixture back into egg whites. Alternatively, use a piping bag or resealable sandwich bag with a small hole cut in the corner to pipe yolk mixture back into egg whites.
Garnish each devilled egg with green onion. Refrigerate for up to a day or serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Lamb Chops with Wasabi Butter
Star Tested Wasabi isn’t just for sushi. It goes great with lamb in the same way horseradish and roast beef are a classic pairing. The pungent, mustardlike spice of wasabi and horseradish bring a bright, grassy contrast to red meats. Lamb loin chops are tender, quick to cook, and come in 4 oz. portions, making them easy to split between guests. Set aside two lamb chops per guest, or three if the guests have a voracious appetite.
1 tsp (5 mL) soy sauce 1cup (250 mL) dry white wine, such as Chardonnay 1 tbsp (15 mL) wasabi paste 1/2 cup (125 mL) room temperature unsalted butter 2 tsp (10 mL) white miso paste 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic paste 8 lamb loin chops (about 4 oz /115 g each) 1 tbsp olive oil
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together soy sauce, wine, wasabi paste, butter, miso paste and garlic paste. Bring sauce to a slow simmer and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened to a creamy gravy consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium wellness.
Transfer to a serving plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
If wasabi sauce gets cold, bring it back to a slow simmer over mediumheat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with lamb chops. Makes 4 servings.
Miso-Sauteed Daikon
Star Tested This white root vegetable is a staple in East Asian cuisine, and in Japan daikon is most commonly pickled, stewed during the winter, or shredded to make ponzu sauce or accompany sashimi. Here, daikon is given a quick toss in a hot pan to act as a caramelized vegetable side dish for the lamb.
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
3 cups (750 mL) daikon, peeled and cut into long and thin sticks
2 tsp (10 mL) white miso paste Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped nori 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame seeds
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add daikon. Stir in miso paste, making sure it evenly coats daikon. Continue to stir frequently until daikon starts to brown and caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle nori and sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.
Chocolate-Walnut Brownies with Matcha Buttercream
Star Tested Take your basic brownie recipe (thanks Martha Stewart!) to the next level with the added crunch of chopped walnuts and a spread of sweet, slightly nutty matcha buttercream on top. These can be made a day or two beforehand and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but take them out about 20 minutes before serving to let them warm up to room temperature. Before spreading the buttercream on top, make sure the brownie is completely cooled or else any residual heat will melt the buttercream into a watery mess. This recipe will make about two-dozen brownies, enough to last into the New Year movie-thon.
For the brownies: 3/4 cup (175 mL) room temperature unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking pan
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) granulated sugar 6 large eggs 11/2 tsp (7 mL) pure vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (280 mL) all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp (4 mL) table salt 1 cup (250 mL) chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
Grease two11-by-7-inch (28 cm by18 cm) brownie pans with butter. Line pans with parchment paper, allowing a bit of paper to hang over sides. Set aside.
Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water over low-medium heat. Make sure water isn’t touching bowl of chocolate. Stir chocolate and butter frequently until everything has melted, careful not to get any water into chocolate, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and let chocolate cool to room temperature, 15 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding additional eggs. Add vanilla. Gently fold in flour, salt and walnuts until everything has dissolved and mixture is free of lumps.
Divide batter evenly between brownie pans. Smooth top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let sit in pan for 5 minutes before grabbing parchment paper folds to lift brownie out and on to a wire rack. Let completely cool before adding buttercream.
For matcha buttercream: 3/4 cups (185 mL) room temperature unsalted butter 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) confectioner’s sugar 2 tbsp (30 mL) whole milk 1 tbsp (15 mL) matcha powder
Using an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk butter on high speed till fluffy. Add sugar in small increments and whisk on high speed, occasionally scraping down bowl with a rubber spatula. Add milk and matcha powder. Continue to whisk on high speed until buttercream is light and fluffy.
To assemble brownies, use a spatula to spread buttercream on top of cooled brownies before cutting them into squares. Makes 24 brownies. Karon.liu@gmail.com