Beef & enoki mushroom rolls

Japanese is probably my favourite type of cuisine, although I eat and like pretty much everything since I’m such a glutton. There’s just so many dishes that I crave for all the time like the tonkatsu I mentioned in yesterday’s post, and the various sushi posts I’ve had in the past, even udons, sukiyaki, yakitori…the list just goes on. Tonight I was craving for sushi train when Yuye and I walked past one in Box Hill, but the lack of customers turned us off (no patrons means not fresh fish).

Japanese flavours are mostly very clean and light and very easy to eat. If you want to make Japanese food at home, you’ll probably survive by stocking light soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), miso (fermented soy bean paste) and dashi (powdered bonito stock). These are all available from Asian grocery stores or major supermarkets.

This is another fast and easy recipe we made for our (sad and unfinished) recipe app for the iPad. You can use pre-sliced hot pot beef (available in Asian supermarkets) which will save a lot of time or use higher grade beef fillets cut into thin slices to wrap the enoki mushrooms. But of course, the better the beef, the better the dish tastes! Just make sure you slightly freeze the meat before you slice it or else it won’t come out as evenly or thin. If you have a meat slicer then even better.

Serve this dish as a side to a main, as a party canapé or make lots of it and have it with a bowl of rice, whatever takes your fancy. Lamb can also be used to substitute the beef if you so desire.

Beef and enoki mushroom rolls
Time to prepare: 20 minutes
Time to cook: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Description

A Japanese appetiser featuring enoki mushrooms wrapped in tender beef and served with a citrus based sauce.

Ingredients
• 150g beef scotch fillet, thinly sliced into 2mm thick slices.
• 100g enoki mushrooms
• 2 tbsp ponzu sauce
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 spring onion
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp Shichimi chilli
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 wedge lemon

Instructions

1. Cut spring onions into 8cm lengths, then thinly slice them length wise.

2. Lay out 2-3 slices of beef with enoki mushroom and spring onion to one side as shown.

3. Carefully roll beef up, leaving the final seam facing downwards.
4. Repeat process with remaining beef, spring onion and enoki mushroom.
5. Season beef rolls with pepper, Shichimi*, sesame seeds and salt to taste.

6. Heat cooking oil in a pan at medium-high heat and fry rolls for 1min on each side or until cooked.**

7. Serve with ponzu sauce*** and lemon for dipping.

* Shichimi is a Japanese spice which contains 7 different ingredients such as black and white sesame seeds, ground red chilli pepper, ground Sichuan pepper, roasted orange peel, hemp seed, ground ginger and dried seaweed. Different brands may use different ingredients as substitutes.
** Place beef rolls seam side downwards initially when frying, as this prevents the rolls from unfolding.
*** Ponzu sauce is a citrus sauce available at well stocked Asian grocery stores. If unobtainable, you can substitute it with light soy sauce mixed with lemon juice and a bit of mirin or sugar to balance out the flavours.

Question time: Which country or type of cuisine is your favourite?

Tagged as: beef, enoki, entree, Japanese, party food, Recipes, sides