The Decorative Art of Japanese Food Carving

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Elegant Garnishes for All Occasions

Hiroshi Nagashima Phot ography by

Ken j i M i u ra

yudhacookbook.com

CONTENTS

lntroJttction

PART

I

7

SIMPLE AC CENTS - - - Twists & Curls

12

Decorative Knots

16

Refreshing Accents Food Cups

20

24

Cucumber Carving Radish Garnishes

PART

II

11

28

36

KATSURA-MUKI - -

- - 41

A Traditional Japanese Pattern

PART

Ill

CUTOUTS ---Square Cuts

54

Pentagonal Cuts Free Cuts

- 53

58

68

Eggplant Fancy 76 Advanced Cuts PART

IV

80

FRUITS

RECIPE NOTES & TOOLS Recipe No t es 98 Tools 108 Index 11 0

89

97

NTRODUCTION

n Japan, taste and visual appeal walk hand in hand to the table. Home cooks and professional chefs alike pay attention to presentation because they consider it a large part of the dining experience. Visual appeal heightens the eating experience, whether in a five-star restaurant or at home. A key element of this approach is mukimono-the decorative food garnish that delights the eye by adding a final flourish to a dish. Although the art of Japanese food decoration has yet to escape the confines of Japan's island culture, with this book I hope to change all of that. I hope to bring this new and exciting \Yay of treating t()od into your kitchen. Food art gives me imn1ense pleasure and it can do the same for you. It can change the way you look at your ~'daily bread.'' It can bring a new level of enjoyment and appreciation into your kitchen. You will delight in its playful elegance and visual appeal, and those you feed will be astonished by your creations. This book is all about bringing creativity into your food practices and making cooking fun again. If working with food is already an inspiring activity, the garnishes and decorations in these pages will lead you in new directions. They will allow you to add flourishes to your cooking repertoire in a manner you never considered. They will lend a whimsical 7

chJrm to ,·our f~>od in some instances,

,lll

understated elegance in

ot h-

ers. ~lore imporrantly, they \\'ill jumpstart your curiosity and send you

on- on new, unexplored tangents. The more than sixty garnishes range in scale fi·on1 simple-tnade in

sccoth.ls-to elaborate, with every imaginable level in bet\vccn. tvlany arc easily mastered. Others require practice ::md skill. You'll find potential uses t()r most of them. All of them will shine on special occasions. I kno\\~ I've tested then1 over and over again. If you are presenting your

meal on a single plate with two or three iten1s, choose a garnish appropriate in color, shape, and taste for the collective food display. I discuss how colors work on the plate and ho\v to combine them in various places throughout the book. If you are serving courses, select a garnish for each round-appetizer, soup or salad, main course, dessert. As far as tools go, most garnishes require only a sharp knife and possibly a fe,,· everyday utensils. A handful require specialized implements. But this collection of edible garnishes represents only the beginning of your culinary journey. For over and above everything else, Tbe Decora-

tive ~4.rt of japanese Food Carving is an idea book. These pages O\rerflow with suggestions and inventive ideas you can use as springboards to e\'en more daring, more inventive decorations or food combinations. In each of these projects, along \Vith the Recipe Notes at the back, you'll find a place to flex your culinary muscles and challenge your cooking skills. For starters, I offer further suggestions for n1ost of the garnishes. Instead of a daikon radish, use a carrot. Instead of a lemon, use a lime or an orange or a pink grapefruit. Instead of the Japanese pun1pkin I chose because I wanted readers to become aware of its natural sweetness, use a local squash or a green pepper or something else _you notice close at hand. You, too, should think in terms of expanding the basic idea of each decoration by trying it on new f(>Ods around you. 8

Next, every garnish in this book can decorate dozens of dishes, not just the one selected. For cxan1plc, I chose to incorporate the Fluttering Plun1 Blosson1 on page 62 in a salad, but this delicate garnish could easily be sprinkled over a leafy green salad, arranged along the edge of a fish or steak dinner, set elegantly alongside a slice of cake or, perhaps, floated in a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea. The combinations are endless, subject only to the limits of your imagination. The art of Japanese food decoration extends back hundreds of years. The tradition is long and grand. But then, as no\v, it took a \villing hand and a fertile mind to \vork the knife and dress the table in a \\·av that captured the audience, \vhether they \vere six or sixty: In that respect, not much has changed. In another respect, everything has changed. The eager cook has so much more at his or her fingertips. An ever-gro,ving selection of vegetables from around the \vorld can be found at your grocers or at some of the specialty shops in to\vn. Carrots in hues from yello\v to red to purple are no\v a\'ailable. Japanese radishes and cucun1bers have traveled across the seas. Using peppers and zucchini and other vegetables of varying shapes and colors can be explored. And if you can't find \Vhat you \Vant at your greengrocer's, you can acquire seeds at your local nursery or online, and grc)\v it in your garden. For the adventurous cook, truly these are blessed tirnes. So take the ne\v techniques and ideas introduced here and run with then1! Transform the way. you think about food. Enhance vour kitchen skills. Play . . . with your n1cals-thcir presentation, the shapes of the f(>ods, and the colors on which the eyes can feast. In short, with new \'igor and inspiration, create, cat, and enjoy!

Hiroshi Nagashima

9

SI MPLE

•

Simple

WlSt

rls J'rondc a spl..tsh n( t' (llur tlwt .tppcal ~ . • 1 ~nJi,•cn~ thL· o\·erall.trr:tngcment, \\'htch tothcc~t ,lilt t . · ht·s the J'·tl.tt c. I len-, they g.tnush three in turn stlllllt • l. . . • • • J , 1 )t't inns nC ~:t~ himi shnmp, t un :t, :md · . . . , 1ndn·tull.l p< J , •• which h.n·c het·n st't 111 :1 v:tn:tt ton of the rcu ~n.tpptt' , , . · ( ' ! )t'\' f)lttcrn introdun·d on page 4H. I hts ~lorn tnt?, < • • • •, • ·~··tlt ttion will enhance .lll\ u>mhination of CCit,llltptt~l ' · ::" · ..... , L't.l'J1 tlw J10rtions in the D.ukon Cups n . .l · .

1

'1\,·t~! S :till C ll

1

.tpJ'l'llZtl~." 'Ill J thC~t'

:-on.t ll )r . u ,111 d eaten a~ i~.

2

·

.

CUJ1S· •'Ht'

..

C.l"ithr

.

lifted\\ tth the

Cut off Vs-inch (3-mm) slivers at a diagonal.

~nwind and adjust twist to make the fmal shape.

Sashim1 Platter

~ fmgt'rS ~

1

3

Soak the slivers in water for 1 or 2 minutes. The carrot will absorb the water and become more pliable.

Y

Cut a 4-inch (1 0-cm) length of carrot in half lengthwise, then cut off a length with a peeler.

1

Wind a carrot sliver around a thin stick (a chopst1ck works well).

1

Cut a thin 2 1/2-inch (6-cm) stnp from a carrot with a peeler or knife Cut in half lengthw1se and trim ends. Soak in water for 1 to 2 minutes to soften.

2

One at a time, rol l the strips around a thin stick at a slight angle, shifting the carrot so the edges are not aligned with the previous layer of carrot as you roll.

Tube Curl The Tube Curl brings this dish to life with a simple, elegan t flourish, lending color and movement to what would have otherwise been a linear, bland-looking presentation. Try sprinkling T ube Curls over a favori te salad or meat dish. Depending on t he dish, consider using cucumber, a red or yellow carrot, or a firm vegetable of your choice.

3 j

r Asparagus and Potato Appetizer

The fin1shed shape.

I

Duck and Red Snapper on Daikon Steak

Japanese Knot Oncl' again a glazed carrot garnish decorates rich foods and tJntali1es the eye. This knot-shaped garnish was inspired by an ancient traditional way of sending notes or missives. Once written, the paper was folded in to a long rectangular shape, then knotted to form the distincti\T pentagonal lozenge at the center. This charming garnish adds a splash of color to any main course, and here enlivens the more subdued tones of this d ish. It can be made with any similarly textured vegetable, including turnip and daikon.

Th1s garnish can be made with a second layer of vegetable such as da1kon. If you choose to use a second vegetable, prepare as in step 1, trim to the same size, then beg1n knot as shown.

3

I

Push end through loop and ...

1

Cut a thm, 4 1/2-inch (11-cm) length from a carrot then cut mto 1h-mchwide (1.3-cm) strips. Soak in a strong saltwater solution (3 tbsp salt to 1 cup/ 240 ml water) for 1 to 2 m1nutes.

... pull and shape to finish. R1nse off the saltwater

17

Knotted Ribbon Here a thick, juK \ slice of daikon radt sh c rea tes an island, breaks up the solid red field , and ~tct s ~t s a pla t form to displa) .1 sampling of 'cgct.1hlc - including the edible Knotted Ribbon garnish. The d~ukon .wd c.1rrot add visu.1l appeal to\\ hat \\ould orhcrwisc havc been a fc.>rgettablc presentation. Notice, too, ho\\ t hc orange of the carrot nice!) bridges the red of the soup and the startlmg '' hitenes~ of the radish. Tr) this technique '' ith other \oups to confound the expectations of your

Cut a thi~, 6-inch length (15 em) of carrot, sltce off thm lfa-mch strands (2-3 mm), then soak in saltwater (3 tbsp salt to 1 cup/240 m l wat ) for 1 to 2 minutes. er

diners.

I Beet Soup 2

3

'-t

Bring one end around and over the other to make a loop, then push the strand through the loop.

1

Pull the strand from the middle to form the final loop as the knot t1ghtens.

The finished garn1sh. Be sure to rinse off the sa ltwater. Part of the charm of this decoration lies in 1ts uneven • ends.

1

I From the end of a lemon ...

Simple Square PerhJps the eJsiest of all the garnishes, the Simple Square can be fashioned from a fruit or vegetable of your choice. As such, it has endless possibilities. Use one or more squares made from the peel of a lemon, orange, or lime for a cup of tea, or as an accent alongside a piece of pie or a scoop of ice cream. On the next page larger squares made from cooked zucchini do double duty (as do many of the garnishes in this book), in this case as the meal's veggie and as a decorative bed for Spiny Lobster.

2

... shave off a section of the peel, leaving the pulp behind.

3 I

Cut into squares.

Covered Food Cup A t.mtalizing mouthful of game meat set on a \\t:dgt.: of frt:~h lim~:

m:lkes fod

f:w:>ritc such as shrimp, scallop, or crab. Just a sprig of parsley or other lc:1t)r green brings this t(>Od cup to lite. (;roup togt.:ther on a pbtter ((>r a centerpiece dispbv. Try oranges and lemons and mix • . • J,,

or a Iong~ 1Lh..

.1

•

nnin course of meat, ftsh, or poultry. Here, when •

. ·I ,d . top a cht>rr\ tomato for a simple finger food, the bird

prt L 1

prcst tlt ·111

•



,1s

"ho\\ n, or in a

pyr.unid of three~ If you "ish to rake it one step turthcr, hollo" out rhe center" tth .1 ')tnall cookiecutter -,hape and fi ll with a topping oi your choice honey, mousse, jam, or fresh crushed berries.

I

Sweet Potato with Blueberry Mousse

Cut off a 5 e ct'IOn of potato.

2

3 Make a paper pentagon (page 59) then cut the potato into a pe ntag o, nal shape.

Then from th the inciSIOn ~ c~rner cut back to shape. Re ~ mak~ng half of the petal then tu rn P at vmh over d the other 5 s1'd es of each petal. an make other half '

Cut petals t o this shape.

As was done for the plum blossom on page 60, make an incision at 1 the halfway point, this time ..-t inch (3 mm) deep. 1

The finished Bellflower. Cook with care so as not to distort the shape.

63

Two-Ply Cherry Blossom shows toJ"~}'ll' l'. I Jere, boiled ~ hrimp a ltern:lt c..; s wit h , . . ~· . . · J 11 . k . I ·tltnon ·md tiT~ h ki wi ll >t· an eve-ope nlll g dt spl ay. I ht ~ ts sautceo sea op, ~ mo l l ~. ' • • " • ~ . • I · ··~ 111 [1 1'11 ·ttions St ·tck bi te-s ize pteces of your l:n •onte food s • onlvonco I countL !i ~U> • · ·· · . · ~· . _ . I II ' . s ·ll·ct t(HH..l t(>l· it s h uca~\\'l'll :t s l ( S t :l s tc. Ihcwhtt e ot the

~ut petals to this shape, mak-

blossom s :dim' . , l(>r

mg the notch in step 2 after al the petals have been formed

1 •

.

.

··I

• • •

U~t>dpropcr\\ I tnt :--g.Hnt ~ 1 1s.1

bet\\ l'L'11 t 1c..; .., ossom s

1

.1

.

•l

" ide color p :d c t tc.

Make the pentagon shape on page 59, then make a l.tE-tnch-deep (3-mm) incision in the mtddle of a side. From the corn er cut to the bottom of the incision with a curving motion. Repeat on the 4 remaining sides. Turn th e carving over and repeat to finish p etals

2 I

Make a shallow notch in each petal.

3

1

This is the baste ch erry blossoi'T' shape. Make a thin cut across th e face of the blossom about lfa mch (3 mm) thick, but do not cut ali the way through. Make a second cut at the 1!4 inch (6 mm) mark to fmtsh the blossom and the second layer.

NOTE: Refer to the plum blossom shape on page 60 for the general cuttmg principles behind this garnish.

Carved Cherry Blossom Carve and cook the potato, st ack it attractively, and add a second food as is done here, or simply serve the potat o alongside the main course, whe ther meat, fish, poultry, or a vegetarian dish. Substi tute carro t , daikon, or any fibrous yeget able. :Master this garnish and it will add a charming touch to any meal.

Carve out the basic cherry blossom shape, then make a shallow incision and cut along the face of one pet al to a depth of 1Ja inch (3 mm) to the ~dge of the next petal, slowly bringang the blade back to the surface.

64

2

I

Continue with remai ning petals.

3

Cut off blossom and repeat. Cook to taste.

.;1;,

•

Carved Leaf Cluster \ s 311 opening .th·o to a dinner th.H "ill delight the palate and the , Ted J~eaf Cluster al. o find sen· icc .ts. garnish for salads C\ e, l .11 • " , -~ch hot dishc,') ,1s p.tghct t 1, or even :1 I c.tk -. nd - bake l-potat 0 cnm-

binati1111 pl.ttl'. \d I green .md yl'lln\\ squ.1sh or nth .ltld

chcntl''>. h>r :1 ch tld\ p.u t), mdi' idua l s\\ .m cornucopi.l'> (ilk d cookie'>, choco Lltc'>, or

c.mdtc-. cou ld de\ ate \ O ll to hero _.\ t t he ' en leas t, yo u \\ill

or th e day.

I

Stacked Kiwi Fruit

have a en '\\ o( n ' n ' .l tt s-

ficd par t ) goer~ . For color \r~11"i Jt to n, t r) J ptnk. gr.lpefrmt or large orange.

1

Lf

Make a cut on each side to the other two skewers, each of wh1ch ma rks t he high point of t he w ings.

7

Complete the circle by cutting the ztgzag feathers for the second wing .

St1ck 3 skewers 1nto the f ruit as shown, forming a triangle around the upper t h1rd of the fru1t.

The b ack of the fruit will be carved 1n this pattern.

B

Lift the top half off. Scoop out the fruit to use here or later.

2

Begin cuttmg JUSt under a skewer. Where the line passes under the skewer will be the crown of the b1rd's head.

5

Cut the zigzag pattern for the feathers at the back of one wing, then dip down to make the low U-shaped cut.

9

Make notches in the wing that expose the white pulp underneath.

3

Remove the skewer and carve out the head, d1ps, and upper edge of the wings.

Make the zigzag cuts for the tail feathers.

10

The fmished Swan The shape of your btrd mill vary depending on tM circumference of the fruit.

Serrated Cup Pinched for time hut need ~m .lddt ttotul fl ourish at the dinner tabid Tht~ serr.ncd ti-ull t ~ la~t ~111d to make. Add n ~n orcd jell),

.lS

here, or

.I

scoop o(

t \ 1'>)

Ill'

cream \\ ith nut s .md \\h tppcd cre.tm, or lor s tmpk elegance, a mt\11-ending scoop

\\ith a splash cream is

.1

or so rbet . Fres h p.tpaya

Insert skewers in the center of both ends as vtsual remmders to stay tn the center as you cut. Make a ztgza , cut around one side. 9

or lemon and strawberries .md \\hipped

crowd- ple:1scr any Jay of the "eck. .

Continue to cut in a zigzag pattern al l the way around the fruit.

3 I

Pull the halves apart.

Scrape out the seeds and rinse the

'-+ I fruit.

I

Papaya and Cru shed Gelatin

5 92

I The finished garnish.

fruit Basket ---

Edible garnishes i:-. one of the thenH.·.., of thi~ hook .llld it is cdwul here" Jt h this carved p 1pa\ .1 b.1slct. Select bctrics and ot ht:r hun not onh (()r taste but for co lor. 1\Llkc usc o( the.: freshest sca..,onal ti·uit. dab of "h1ppcd cn:.tm 1" optwnal. ( ' hoo~e t,1IJ ldc-hoJH:d ,. ~ern:'' tth .1 sm~d l dessert fi>rk. 1 \

1

1

,,

pJpa:· · ,

2

Trim the top of the fruit.

3

On the other stde of the fruit, insert another skewer where the bottom corner of the same side of the handle will be.

Y

it'. remove the wedge.

8

you want to serve the frhUit peeled, as shown in t e f tntshed . Fruit Basket th en peel at thts stage.

I

Find the midway point between the top and bottom and stick in a skewer. This will mark a bottom corner of the handle.

Make a cut at the center of the fruit to the skewers.

1

Before cutttng the other side, carve the understde of the handle for a ntcer shape if desired.

Skewers should be placed to mark out the bottom corners of the handle, first two on the left side, then on the right.

5

Turn the fruit over and reposition the skewers to mark the other two bottom corners of the handle, then repeat step 4.

9

Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other side, then remove all the seeds. If the fruit has a thick wall, you may want to notch the handle If you do so, support the handle as you cut and proceed carefully so as not to break the handle or cut yourself.

Papaya Dessert Basket w1th Berries

6 I1

10

Make a vertical cut to carve out one stde of the handle and . ..

I The finished garnish.

93

Carved Bird Basket If you 're looking to fl ex your crea ti ve muscles, this bas ke t \\ Jt h 1ts layered" ings is the wa) to go. A single bird c an ser ve double Jut) as J. centerpiece 111 an in t imate te te-~1- te te for t \\o, \\ bile a flock wdl le,n·e diners \\ide-eyed "i th ,lma/emcn t . A pee led melon and large app le are ..,hown here. Fill" nh fruit ball s or