Firm Azuki Jelly (練り羊羹, Neri Yōkan)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small loaf mold, nagashikan, or straight-sided container
• •Heavy saucepan
• •Wooden spatula
• •Fine or coarse sieve, optional for a smoother finish
• •Sharp knife and damp cloth for slicing

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mold

   Lightly wet a small loaf mold, nagashikan, or straight-sided container with water, then drain off any puddle. A wet mold helps the set yōkan release cleanly without leaving an oily surface. If your container is not metal, line it with a smooth strip of parchment and keep the corners neat, because every crease will print itself on the finished block.

2. 2

   Dissolve the kanten

   Put the water and powdered kanten in a small heavy saucepan and whisk while cold. Set it over medium heat and bring it to a steady boil, stirring often, then boil for 2 minutes. The liquid should look clearer and slightly thicker. Kanten needs real boiling to dissolve; a gentle warming leaves hard specks that no amount of later stirring will repair.

   This is the first secret. Dissolve the kanten completely before the sugar and bean paste crowd the pot.
3. 3

   Add the sugar

   Add the sugar and salt, then stir until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture turns glossy. Sugar is not only sweetness here. It helps the yōkan keep its firm, clean bite and gives it the keeping quality that made it a gift sweet.

4. 4

   Stir in bean paste

   Lower the heat and add the koshi-an in several spoonfuls, stirring hard after each addition until no pale streaks remain. Use a wooden spatula and scrape the bottom and corners of the pan. Bean paste is thick and will settle if ignored, and settled paste scorches before a polite cook has time to apologize.

5. 5

   Cook to body

   Cook over low heat for 12 to 18 minutes, stirring steadily, until the mixture is thick, glossy, and falls from the spatula in heavy folds rather than running like soup. Drag the spatula across the bottom of the pan; the line should close slowly. This cooking drives off extra water, so the finished yōkan cuts cleanly instead of slumping.

6. 6

   Set the block

   Pour the hot mixture into the prepared mold and tap the mold gently on the counter to settle it. Smooth the top with a wet spatula, then let it cool at room temperature until no longer warm. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Kanten sets as it cools, but the rest gives the block a cleaner texture and calmer slice.

7. 7

   Slice and serve

   Unmold the yōkan and wipe a sharp knife with a damp cloth. Cut thin slices, wiping the blade between cuts so each face stays smooth and dark. Serve one or two slices per person with unsweetened green tea. The bitterness of the tea is not decoration; it gives the sweet its proper balance.

Chef Tips

• •Use good koshi-an. If the bean paste tastes flat before it goes into the pot, the finished yōkan will taste flat too. This is a plain sweet, and plain things report everything.
• •Kanten and gelatin are not the same. Gelatin gives a wobble and melts in warmth; kanten gives the clean, firm bite that makes yōkan yōkan. Use kanten here.
• •For a more formal surface, strain the hot mixture through a coarse sieve before molding. It is extra work, not magic, but it catches any stubborn bits of bean skin or kanten.
• •Cut smaller than you think. Yōkan is dense and sweet, meant to sit beside tea in a restrained slice, not to fill the plate. Leave it room.

Advance Preparation

• •Neri yōkan is made for advance preparation. Let it set at least 4 hours, though overnight gives the cleanest slice.
• •Wrapped tightly and refrigerated, it keeps for 1 to 2 weeks. For longer keeping, wrap the whole block well and freeze it, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing.
• •Slice just before serving. Cut faces dry out faster than the uncut block, and the smooth dark surface is half the pleasure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)