Osechi Ryori (not BBQ)

I am posting this in response to request from a different post I made.

Osechi Ryori is a traditional feast prepared the day before New Years, in the past, it often took several days, as there were many issues with things like refrigeration and such. It focuses on local and seasonal foods. In a large part, this was due to the limited access to foods across Japan to all but the wealthiest folks in a feudal society.

My family comes from two areas of Japan, hence our traditional foods vary even from each part of the family. My dad's family comes from the Hiroshima area, my mom's from the Edo (Tokyo) area. Note that we come from a place that is no longer in existence, Edo having been renamed a century ago.

Primary to the Osechi-Ryori tradition is a stew made from meat, fish, roots and twigs :grin: YUM! Actually, I am editorializing. My dad's family used pork, the Edo clan used fish, there is also burdock, taro root, carrots, potatoes, naga-imo (mountain potato, actually a tuber, gah! gah!), bamboo shoots, fish cake, yam cake (gah! gah!) and konbu rolls (rolled seaweed). Actually, many of these items I really dislike alone, but, the stew done without them all tastes off. It is stewed in a mix of bonito broth and soy sauce. We call this Oden. It is actually a higher price version of the stew eaten almost everyday in Japan.

I have tried making this on the kettle, then stewing the smoked and grilled veggies, it is quite good, but, not traditional. Yes, bamboo shoots, and not those woody strips you get in cheap cans at the store. The ones I like are tender and quite tasty, unless you grill them. Then they are quite pricey garbage. :mad2: More to follow...

I will try and post more images this year, I somehow did not take any pics last year. Except for these fish cakes, which are the original fried fishcakes before surimi took over.


We make these with fresh pulverized rock cod, and some other stuff.

Satsuma Age Kamaboko
11 ounces mild white fish (cod, sea bass, pollock)
2 ounces burdock root (coarsely shredded then chopped)
2 ounces carrots (coarsely shredded then chopped)
1/4 cup dashi (bonito broth)
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce (shoyu)
1 tsp sake
1 large egg white
5 tbs potato starch
2 tsp a.p. flour

1. Saute burdock root and carrots in 2T oil, add broth and sugar saute until all liquid is absorbed. Add soy sauce and continue saute until fluid is absorbed. Allow to cool.

2. Finely chop fish into small chunks then add to suribashi (grinding bowl) or food processor and grind to fine paste. This should be a slightly coarse paste. Incorporate sake thoroughly, then incorporate egg white thoroughly.

3. Sift potato starch and flour together. Add to fish paste 1 tablespoon at a time, combine by kneading into fish paste. Thoroughly incorporate one tablespoon at a time. Fold in veggie mix last.

4. Form into small patties, approximately 2 to 3 inches in diameter, 3/4 inch thick and deep fry or pan fry until crispy and golden.

Well, for New Years, I am almost always in Humboldt, so we buy from the markets up there. Down here, I go to Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, or Rockridge Fish Market in Oakland. I also like the looks of Berkeley Bowl in Berkeley and plan on trying some of their fish. I have bought wild prawns from them and they were pretty good. The wild caught prawns at Farmer Joe's in Oakland were better though.

My preference is for a brand of shoyu called Yamasa, but, the one with all the Japanese on it, not the English labeled one. I find the American brands sold by Kikkoman to be too harsh. I use shaved bonito flakes, my preference being the freshest looking stuff (large flakes, very little dust, puffy bag, looks like cedar shavings). Ha ha, there was the year I mistakenly shaved up my grandmothers kitchen stick and not the bonito stick. Cedar soup, hahaha, I got called stupid an awful lot after that incident, there was very little sympathy once the cedar soup was dumped.


This looks like the stuff I buy, except I do not buy from Jetro.


I buy the stuff in the red cap, but, I can get the import stuff with no English on the label. They say it is the same for either market, but, I think not.

I can help you out with choices. Bear in mind, I am a consultant and very skilled at spending other peoples money.

We also make Teriyaki Chicken every year, this is my main specialty. Each of the family members had a particular dish that they made their own. This is mine. Here are some spatchcocked version...


And the ingredients...


And the recipe...
Teriyaki Chicken Marinade:
3 cups shoyu
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup sake
1/8 cup mirin
4 large cloves garlic, grated
1/2" piece ginger, grated

Teriyaki Chicken Glaze:
1 cups shoyu
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup mirin
1 clove garlic, pressed, no pulp
1/8 tsp. ginger juice

The bottle of Lagunita Brown Shugga was not used in this recipe, although, it may have played a part in the outcome.

Oh, we also make gyoza either the night before or for New Year's Day. This is not traditional to Osechi except in our family. Then again, pan fried and steamed pork and shrimp dumpling do not suck.