Amazu Renkon (Sweet Vinegared Lotus Root)
- 1 piece water fresh renkon, lotus root; Note: also sold pre-sliced and packed in, but fresh is best
- 7/8 cup rice vinegar
- 7/8 cup dashi
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 dash salt
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar for "aku nuki" or removing bitterness and residue from the reckon
- 1. The inside of the renkon or lotus root has a beautiful decorative pattern which makes it ideal as a decorative and delicious chirashi sushi topping.
- 2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin of the renkon and cut-off both ends of the renkon. The ends will be dry and thick. Similar to a potato, the renkon will have what look like "eyes" which must be removed. They resemble dark or discolored patches. Slice the renkon lengthwise in half, then thinly slice horizontally.
- 3. Soak uncooked renkon slices in a bowl of cold water and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar for 10 minutes. This process is called, aku-nuki in Japanese, where any unwanted residue or bitter flavor from the renkon is drawn-out in the vinegar-water solution. Drain the renkon.
- 4. In a small glass bowl, prepare the amazu marinade by combining the dashi, rice vinegar, sugar and a dash of salt and gently stirring with chopsticks. Set this aside.
- 5. Next, in a small sauce pan, boil water and add the drained renkon and blanch for 2 minutes. Transfer the blanched renkonAdd the drained renkon to this ama-zu marinade. After the renkon cools, transfered to a plastic storage container and store in the fridge.
water, rice vinegar, dashi, sugar, salt, rice vinegar
Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Amazu-Renkon-_Sweet-Vinegared-Lotus-Root_-1644412 (may not work)