Char Grilled Bok Choy

SAVORY

Sep 8

Roasted Parsnip Purée, Mushroom Dashi, Pickled Onions, Curried Puffed Rice

Chef Scotty Iijima of Toki | Portland, OR

“The addition of Sherry Vinegar from Spain to this dish brings a light, sweet tang to the grilled bok choy and mushroom purée without bogging it down or making it feel too acidic. We don't typically measure the amount per dish that we use, since we like to measure it against the quality or age of the produce in this dish. That being said, feel free to use it as liberally as we do!” - Chef Scotty Iijima

INGREDIENTS

Bok Choy:
4 pieces Shanghai baby bok choy
Salt

Mushroom Dashi:
14 ounces sake
45 grams crushed garlic
15 grams black peppercorns
75 grams dried shiitake mushrooms
1 piece kombu

Pickled Onions:
2 red onions, julienned
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

Parsnip Purée:
2 parsnips, diced
Kosher salt
Sesame oil
Sherry Vinegar from Spain

Curried Puffed Rice:
Oil for frying
1 cup cooked short grain rice
Curry powder
Furikake

To Assemble and Serve:
Sesame oil
Kosher salt
Sherry Vinegar from Spain

METHOD

For the Bok Choy:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch bok choy 3 minutes, then immediately shock in an ice bath. Once cooled, cut bok choy in half and transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet tray and let dry.

For the Mushroom Dashi:
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring sake, garlic, peppercorns, mushrooms, and 2 quarts water to a boil. Remove from heat and add kombu. Let steep 45 minutes, then strain and reserve.

For the Pickled Onions:
Place onions in a large nonreactive container. Set aside. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring sugar, rice vinegar, and 2 cups Mushroom Dashi to a boil. Pour pickling liquid over the onions and refrigerate overnight.

For the Parsnip Purée:
Heat oven to 400°F. On a parchment-lined sheet tray, season parsnips with salt and sesame oil. Roast 8 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender and golden brown. Transfer to a blender with enough Mushroom Dashi to cover the parsnips. Purée 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth, streaming in additional Mushroom Dashi as needed to achieve desired consistency. Pass mixture through a fine sieve. Season with salt and vinegar, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate.

For the Curried Puffed Rice:
In a frying pan, heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches, fry rice 2 minutes, covering the pan with a splash guard if needed. Using a slotted spoon, remove rice from the pan and let drain on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Season with curry powder and furikake. Let cool.

To Assemble and Serve:
Prepare and heat a grill. Season Bok Choy with sesame oil and salt. Grill Bok Choy, cut side down, until nicely charred. Flip and char remaining side. Let cool. In a small saucepan, warm Parsnip Purée. Once warmed, spoon 4 ounces Parsnip Purée to the center of a serving plate. Top with grilled Bok Choy, then drizzle with additional vinegar. Finish with 3 Pickled Onions and Curried Puffed Rice.

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