Sautéed Burdock and Carrot (きんぴらごぼう, Kinpira Gobō)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Vegetable brush, or the back of a knife for scraping gobō
• •Sharp knife, or a julienne peeler as a sensible stand-in
• •Wide skillet or sauté pan
• •Wooden saibashi cooking chopsticks, or a wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrub the gobō

   Scrub the gobō well under running water with a vegetable brush or the back of a knife. Don't peel it clean and white. Much of the fragrance sits near the skin, and kinpira wants that earthy smell, not a polite root with its character shaved away.

2. 2

   Cut fine matchsticks

   Cut the gobō into pieces about 2 inches long, then slice them into fine matchsticks. Cut the carrot to the same size. Matching the cut matters because the two roots cook together; if one is thick and the other thin, the pan has to choose a favorite.

   A sasagaki cut, shaving the burdock as if sharpening a pencil, is also traditional. Matchsticks are easier for most home cooks and give the same quick cooking and good glaze.
3. 3

   Soak briefly

   Put the cut gobō in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well and pat it dry. The water takes off the rough, tannic edge and slows browning. Keep it brief, because a long soak steals the root's clean bitterness, and that slight bitterness is part of the dish.

4. 4

   Sauté the roots

   Heat the sesame oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the drained gobō and carrot, plus the chile if using, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. The roots should brighten, smell nutty, and bend a little while still keeping their bite. This first cooking in oil coats the surface so the seasoning later clings instead of soaking unevenly.

5. 5

   Glaze with seasonings

   Add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir steadily as the liquid bubbles and reduces, 3 to 5 minutes, until the pan is nearly dry and the roots look lacquered. Stop when the glaze clings to the strands. Cook past that and the sugar darkens too far, turning a clean side dish heavy.

6. 6

   Finish with sesame

   Take the pan off the heat and scatter in the toasted sesame seeds. Toss once or twice, then let the kinpira settle for at least 10 minutes before serving. It tastes good hot, but better warm or at room temperature, after the seasoning has had a little time to sit where it belongs.

Chef Tips

• •Choose gobō that feels firm and slender, with taut skin and no limp bends. If it smells clean and earthy, you're in the right place. If it smells musty or sour, change the dish. Nothing good comes from hiding tired roots under soy sauce.
• •Cut matters more than courage here. A sharp knife gives clean faces that cook evenly, but a julienne peeler is a sensible stand-in on a weeknight. Keep the strands close in size and the dish will forgive you.
• •Don't drown the pan in seasoning. Kinpira is glazed, not sauced. The roots should shine and separate, with no puddle left behind.
• •The chile is traditional in many homes, but it should warm the dish, not bully it. Remove the seeds, use a little, and let the gobō remain the main voice.

Advance Preparation

• •Kinpira gobō keeps well for 4 days refrigerated and is often better the next day, once the sweet-salty glaze has settled into the roots.
• •Serve it warm, room temperature, or cool in a bento. Reheat gently in a dry skillet if you want it warm again, adding only a teaspoon of water if the glaze has tightened too much.
• •Cut the vegetables shortly before cooking. If gobō must wait, keep it in cold water for no more than 20 minutes, then drain and dry it well before it goes into the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 70g)