Noodles and Rice

Japanese Lemon-Simmered Squash

by Stef on May 2nd, 2006

This recipe was an adaptation of one from Elizabeth Andoh’s Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen. I had made something similar years ago, though that one had a touch of sugar and less emphasis on the lemon. It was from one of those comb-bound cookbooks that some Asian restaurants sell at the lobby/cashier. I had gotten it from our then-favorite Japanese restaurant. It was my constant companion for many years until I got Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, and now this book. In some ways, I prefer the older, simpler cookbook (now lost somewhere in my unpacked boxes in the basement) — because its main focus was recipes, I could just learn the instructions and cook and follow my instincts, based also on Japanese food I’ve had before. These days, every cookbook I borrow goes into history and science, and while I appreciate all this information — me the info junkie — I sometimes miss cooking just for the fun of cooking. I miss letting myself enjoy the rudimentaries of a cuisine foreign to my own. These things are not lost, of course; if anything they are even more accessible now that we have all these cookery books being published, but there is something to be said about the innocence of a novice cook just finding out how to make dashi without considering its origins or why one kind of katsuo-bushi is better than another. Sigh… ignore me please. This is what I get for getting older.

At any rate, Ms. Andoh’s book touches on some of the things even the classic Shijuo Tsuji book doesn’t, like letting the rice stand for 10 minutes before you put it on heat, or why you need to soak the kombu in a pickling solution. So much about Japanese home cooking that other cookbooks have ignored or deliberately left out before for whatever reason is revealed in this beautiful book. But let’s get back to the squash.

You will need

a quarter of Kabocha squash, peeled or unpeeled as you desire (the traditional Japanese way is to peel it in spots, so it looks speckled — I didn’t want to do this as I wasn’t sure about the source of my squash, if it was sprayed pesticides, etc.)
1/2 cup dashi
the zest of 1/2 lemon plus its juice — Ms. Andoh says 1 lemon but mine was probably too large, as I found the dish overly acidic, hence the adjustment — use your judgment here
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Additional equipment needed: An Otoshi-buta, or piece of parchment cut to fit the inside of the saucepan you’re using

In a large non-reactive saucepan, bring the dashi and the lemon juice to a simmer over medium heat. Carefully add in the squash in one layer, and cover with the otoshi-buta or parchment. Cook at a simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and turn squash gently to cook on the other side. Replace otoshi-buta or parchment and cook another 3-4 minutes or just until cooked through. Sprinkle soy sauce over, and serve, garnished with the lemon zest.

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POSTED IN: Japanese, Vegetarian / Vegan Dishes : Asian