Pounded Burdock Root (たたき牛蒡, Tataki Gobō)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Vegetable brush or the back of a knife
• •Suribachi and surikogi, or a small mortar and pestle
• •Rolling pin or wooden pestle

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrub the burdock

   Scrub the gobō under running water with a vegetable brush or the back of a knife, but don't peel it clean and white. The skin holds much of the fragrance, that good earthy bitterness that makes burdock itself. Cut into 2-inch lengths, halving thick pieces lengthwise so they cook evenly.

2. 2

   Soak briefly

   Put the cut gobō into water mixed with 1 tablespoon rice vinegar for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain. This keeps the color from darkening too fiercely and pulls out a little harshness. Don't soak it longer. Wash away all the character and you'll have made a very obedient stick.

   A brief soak is a sensible stand-in for time and care, not a bath to erase the burdock. Keep the root tasting like itself.
3. 3

   Simmer until tender

   Bring a pot of water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the drained gobō and simmer gently for 8 to 12 minutes, until a skewer enters with light resistance. You want tender, not soft. If it collapses now, it won't hold its shape after pounding.

4. 4

   Grind the sesame

   While the burdock cooks, grind the toasted sesame seeds in a suribachi until most are crushed and fragrant, leaving a few seeds partly whole. Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and dashi or water, then stir to a rough paste. The sesame gives body, the vinegar sharpens the root, and the soy brings the seasoning back to earth.

5. 5

   Pound gently

   Drain the gobō and pat it dry. While still warm, lay the pieces on a board and tap each one lightly with a rolling pin or pestle until it cracks along the grain. Stop when the fibers open. This is the whole point of tataki: the dressing can enter the root without turning it into rubble.

6. 6

   Dress and rest

   Toss the warm, cracked gobō with the sesame dressing until every piece is lightly coated. Let it rest at least 1 hour, turning once or twice, so the vinegar and soy settle into the opened grain. Serve at room temperature, in a restrained mound with a little space around it.

Chef Tips

• •Choose slender gobō if you can. Thick roots can be woody at the core, and no dressing will politely solve that. Sourcing first, always.
• •A suribachi, the ridged Japanese mortar, gives the sesame a rough, fragrant texture. A small mortar and pestle works too. Don't grind it into a smooth paste, or the dressing loses its bite.
• •Tataki means pounded, but the hand should be light. Listen for the crack and stop there. The root should open, not surrender.
• •For a meatless osechi table, use water in the dressing or a spoon of konbu and dried shiitake dashi. That's honmono in the temple-kitchen line, not a lesser version.

Advance Preparation

• •Tataki gobō is best made a day ahead. The opened fibers drink the sesame-vinegar dressing as it rests.
• •Keep refrigerated up to 3 days in a covered container. Bring to room temperature before serving so the sesame aroma returns.
• •If making several osechi dishes, cook and dress the gobō after stronger-smelling fish dishes, so its clean earthy fragrance stays clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)