Japanese Breakfast
Greg Dunmore
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
2
Japanese breakfast has always felt incredibly special to me, partly because it hits exactly the way I want breakfast to feel. I’ve never really been a sweet breakfast person. I gravitate toward savory foods, and Japanese breakfast offers a little bit of everything I crave in the morning.
Of course, Yoko, my Japanese “mom,” was the person who first introduced me to the beauty and comfort of a traditional Japanese breakfast. That’s where I caught the bug and started wanting to eat it regularly.
At its most basic, Japanese breakfast almost always begins with miso soup and rice. From there, small accompanying dishes round out the meal. In Elizabeth Andoh’s story, Part Three: Washoku Kitchen Wisdom, she describes how the Japanese refer to these humble, nourishing meals as ichijū sansai - “One + Three.” As she explains:
“Generations of Japanese have been well nourished daily by modest meals following a simple pattern: soup, rice, and a few other dishes. This easy-to-compose menu model satisfies hunger while fulfilling nutritional needs.”
The soup provides hydration and delivers minerals and vitamins. Rice offers energy and comfort, while the accompanying dishes round out the meal with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
The recipe below is just one variation of a Japanese breakfast, but there are endless possibilities.
Ingredients
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3 cups Konbu Dashi
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10 ounces clams, cleaned
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2 teaspoons finely sliced scallions
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Pinch of Yamatsu Tsujita Shichimi Togarashi (optional, but highly recommended)
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2 tablespoons Rokko Aka (Red) Miso
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2 mackerel fillets (3–4 oz each)
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½ teaspoon sake
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½ teaspoon sea salt
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2 teaspoons shiso, chiffonade (optional but highly recommended)
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1 teaspoon Yamaki Jozo Ume Miso
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1 to 2 Japanese cucumbers
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1 teaspoon sea salt
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1 tablespoon Horikawaya Nomura Mitsuboshi Soy Sauce
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1 tablespoon Wadaman Organic White Sesame Oil
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Pinch of Yamatsu Tsujita Shichimi Togarashi
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½ sheet Motoi Nori Zenkei Nori
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2 eggs
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1 tablespoon mirin
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⅛ teaspoon sea salt
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2 tablespoons dashi or Konbu Dashi
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2 teaspoons Wadaman Organic White Sesame Oil
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2 cups cooked Japanese rice
Miso Soup
Fish (Dish 1)
Cucumber Salad (Dish 2)
Dashi Tamagoyaki (Dish 3)
Rice
Directions
There are quite a few components to this recipe, but most of the steps are straightforward and approachable. If you organize your mise en place ahead of time, the meal comes together much more quickly than you might expect.
Traditionally, many of the dishes are prepared simultaneously, though the cucumber salad and tamagoyaki can easily be made in advance.
Miso Soup
- In a small saucepan, combine the konbu dashi and clams. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the soup heats, divide the scallions and shichimi between two serving bowls.
- Once the clams open, lower the heat and gently dissolve the miso into the broth. Avoid boiling after adding the miso.
- Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Fish (Dish 1)
- Place the mackerel in a small bowl, coat with sake, and marinate for 10 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat a grill or broiler.
- Remove the fish from the sake, pat dry, and season with sea salt.
Grill Method
- Place the fish skin-side down over medium-high heat and cook until the skin is crispy and lightly charred, about 3 to 6 minutes.
- Flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until fully cooked through.
Broiler Method
- Place the fish skin-side up on a foil-lined tray.
- Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until the skin is crisp and lightly charred. Flipping may not be necessary.
Transfer the mackerel (grilled or broiled) to serving plates and garnish with shiso and a small spoonful of ume miso.
Cucumber Salad (Dish 2)
- Rub the cucumbers with the sea salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Using a small rolling pin or the side of a knife, gently smash the cucumbers until lightly cracked. Be careful not to pulverize them.
- Break the cucumbers into large bite-sized pieces with your hands and transfer to a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar and soy sauce, then whisk in the sesame oil.
- Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and add a light sprinkle of shichimi togarashi.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to small plates and finish by gently crumbling the nori over the top.
Dashi Tamagoyaki (Dish 3)
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, mirin, sea salt, and dashi.
- Heat the sesame oil in a tamagoyaki pan or small nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke.
- Swirl the oil to coat the pan, then pour off the excess oil and wipe lightly with a paper towel.
- Pour a thin layer of egg mixture into the pan, coating the bottom evenly.
- Once mostly set, roll the egg carefully using chopsticks or a spatula.
- Push the rolled egg to one side of the pan. Add another thin layer of egg mixture, lifting the rolled egg slightly so the new egg flows underneath.
- Once set, roll again.
- Repeat the process until all the egg mixture has been used.
- Transfer to a plate, allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve.
Rice
Divide the hot rice between two bowls.
Final Plating
Arrange the rice in the lower left, miso soup in the lower right, fish in the center, cucumber salad in the upper left, and tamagoyaki in the upper right.