ode to a japanese breakfast
When I was younger, I naively aspired to be the kind of person who would have a signature recipe for perfect waffles and a pretty frittata for a Sunday morning brunch served on pastel colored plates from Anthropologie.
Thankfully, I grew up and so did my taste. Because I grew to be a Japanese breakfast as a weekend indulgence kind of person. Unfortunately this evolution of taste requires a lot more work. Idk how Japanese housewives do it on the daily.
FISH | RICE | SOUP | EGG | VEG | TEA
Core elements, and the rest is choosing your own adventure.
The Japanese breakfast spread is my platonic ideal of a meal. A little bit of many nourishing, nutritious things that rounds out a well-balanced and colorful meal. Each element by itself seems simple, and frankly, don’t take long to put together, but coordinating everything to be plated efficiently within a small kitchen is like an art.
Over the years I’ve had so many iterations, some more traditional than others, some with a lot of creative liberty. Sometimes with many small plates and bowls and sometimes all compiled into one. Frankly, half of it is just about the presentation, making it look abundant and appealing.
SOME VAGUE STEPS
prep ahead
— marinate the fish (salmon) with some sake and then add salt on all sides, and then wrap in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 48 hours
— pickle the veg (or use store-bought) with vinegar, salt and sugar
morning of
— cook the rice
— soft boil an egg (or make a japanese omelette, or make an onsen egg, basically do whatever feels right)
— prep any vegetable elements: blanch some greens, sautee some burdock and carrot, cut up some fresh produce for sirving
— make the miso soup with whatever vegetables you have on hand, and some tofu
— broil the salmon
— make some tea
— plate and itadakimasu