Instructions
Adapted from:
Step 1
Weigh and prepare the veggies (wash and slice). Dry.
Step 2
Weigh 2% salt. Place into produce bag or ziplock and add veggies. Shake vigorously to coat veggies, then seal (remove air) and place weight. (We typically place the bag between two dinner plates and weigh down with an 8lb barbell). Wait 30-40 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile: prepare the other ingredients.
- Chop the ginger into matchsticks.
- If using kombu, cut into strips. The kombu can be cut with strong kitchen scissors but is pretty challenging to cut. It can be made a bit easier to cut by steaming it. The kombu is a nice addition but might not be worth it if your hands are finiky. We substitue 1 tsp dried wakame (already available in small pieces), which isn’t quite as good but still tasty. We also add a bit more bontio flakes as garnish at the end.
- Toast the sesame seeds. This can be done on a dry pan/skillet. If the seasme seeds are white, you can simply let them turn a light golden brown. If they are black (or white), you can wait until they start making soft popping sounds.
Step 4
Squeeze the pickled veggies to remove excess water. Add ginger, chili rings, shiso, and wakame/kombu. Add vinegar and sugar. Reseal bag (remove air) and let sit for 30 minutes (no weight needed).
Serve
Plate the asazuke with bonito flakes and toasted sesame seeds. Excess asazuke will keep well in the refrigerator for about two days.