Aso Takanazuke (阿蘇高菜漬け, Kumamoto mustard greens)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Pickling crock (tsukemono-ki), or a nonreactive bowl with a plate and weight
• •Kitchen scale
• •Clean jar or fermentation weight
• •Skillet

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the greens

   Wash the takana well in cold water, lifting the leaves so any grit falls away. Dry them thoroughly, especially near the stems. Salt should draw out the greens' own water, not be diluted by rinse water clinging to the leaves.

   If you cannot find Aso takana, use young mustard greens. Say plainly that the ingredient has changed, but the method still teaches the dish honestly.
2. 2

   Salt and massage

   Weigh the greens, then use salt equal to 4 percent of that weight. Sprinkle the salt between the leaves and along the stems, then massage gently until the greens darken, soften, and begin to glisten. The salt opens the cells and pulls out moisture, which becomes the brine that carries the ferment.

3. 3

   Pack under weight

   Coil or fold the greens into a clean pickling crock, tsukemono-ki, or a nonreactive bowl. Press them down, cover with a clean plate or inner lid, and set a weight on top. Within a few hours, liquid should rise around the leaves. If the greens are not mostly submerged after 6 hours, add a light brine made from 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons salt, just enough to cover.

   Submersion is the first secret. Leaves exposed to air spoil; leaves under brine ferment cleanly.
4. 4

   Ferment briefly

   Leave the weighted greens at cool room temperature, ideally 18 to 21 C, for 2 to 3 days. Taste after the second day. They should smell fresh and mustardy, with a clean sour edge, not musty. For a sharper honzuke-style pickle, refrigerate after this point and let it mature another 5 to 7 days.

5. 5

   Squeeze and chop

   Lift the greens from the brine and squeeze firmly but not angrily. You want them moist, not dripping. Chop crosswise into small pieces, including the stems, because the stems carry the best snap. Taste before frying. If they are very salty, rinse quickly in cold water, then squeeze again.

6. 6

   Fry with sesame

   Warm the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chile, if using, then the chopped greens. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the surface looks glossy and the smell turns nutty. Add the soy sauce and mirin at the edge of the pan so they sizzle, then toss through. This brief heat rounds the pickle without cooking away its mustard bite.

7. 7

   Finish and cool

   Stir in the sesame seeds and spread the takanazuke on a plate to cool. Serve at room temperature in a small dish, or spoon over hot rice. Keep the portion restrained. It is a pickle, not a vegetable side trying to fill the bowl.

Chef Tips

• •Choose mustard greens with thin stems, lively leaves, and a peppery smell when you snap a stem. Thick, weary leaves ferment, yes, but they make a dull pickle.
• •Use a pickling crock with an inner press if you have one. A bowl, a plate, and a clean jar filled with water do the same work, which is simply to keep the greens below their brine.
• •Do not fry the pickle hard. Aso takanazuke should keep its sharp green character. The pan is there to wake it, not tame it.
• •Serve it beside plain rice, miso soup, and something grilled. The pickle's salt and sourness sharpen the meal, the way a small bell sharpens a quiet room.

Advance Preparation

• •The salted greens can ferment 2 to 3 days at cool room temperature, then hold in the refrigerator for 1 week before frying.
• •Once oil-fried, the takanazuke keeps 5 days refrigerated in a covered container. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
• •For a sharper pickle, mature the pressed greens in the refrigerator for another week before chopping and frying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)