Recipe of the week: Yoshihiro Imai's squid, peas and wasabi flowers
Taken from Monk: Light and Shadow on the Philosopher's Path, by Yoshihiro Imai (Phaidon, £29.95)
Tender squid arrive in Tsuruga Bay in the beginning of spring and are a wonderful seasonal treat. This simple dish calls for rapidly roasting the squid in the high heat of the oven and serving with a snap pea and white miso paste. I like to garnish it with refreshingly spicy wasabi flowers, only found at this time of year.
Serves 4
For the snap pea and white miso paste
- 160g snap peas, strings removed
- 20g white miso
- 2g salt
For the squid
- 4 squid
- 5g olive oil
For serving
100g snap pea and white miso paste (above)
- 12 wasabi flowers
Make the snap pea and white miso paste
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the snap peas for three minutes. Reserve 60g of the water and place it, along with the cooked peas, white miso and salt, in a blender. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds to leave some texture.
Roast the squid
Preheat the wood-fired oven to high heat (450°C). Place a cast-iron frying pan in the oven to preheat.
Remove the squids' cartilage, eyes and beak. Brush the hot pan with olive oil and place the squid inside. Roast in the oven for one minute. Flip and roast for one more minute.
To serve
Reheat the snap pea paste and use a spoon to plate. Top with the squid. Garnish with the wasabi flowers.
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