"The Hidden Charms of Mirin as an Ingredient"
"Starts with a soft crunch, softening further to unify with accompanying flavors"
Navigator: Shui Ishizaka
Shui Ishizaka
Born and raised in Australia, Shui Ishizaka is our culinary virtuoso whose innovative approach to seaweed transforms the ocean's produce into gastronomic masterpieces. His journey to and at Sea Vegetable passes through some of the culinary world’s prestigious kitchens including Tokyo's two-Michelin-starred restaurant INUA and three-Michelin-starred noma’s popup restaurant in Kyoto.
Ishizaka’s philosophy revolves around the narrative of each dish, where the 'why' becomes as important as the 'what'. His work embodies a deep respect for the ingredients’ origins, pairing the known with the unknown. He is a chef who not only envisions a seat for seaweed at the global dining table but also crafts each dish as an invitation to explore, taste, and appreciate the unseen wonders of our oceans.
I remember diving into the sea and grabbing some fresh, wild Mirin. It had this amazing, bouncy texture that I found really intriguing. However, out of all the seaweeds I've handled, Mirin is the most sensitive to environmental changes. Its condition can change in just a short time, so it was difficult to get it to the kitchen fresh. That's why we sprinkle it with salt immediately after harvesting and then ship it to retain its natural state.
Mirin is very delicate, and its texture is truly unique. Unlike Tosakanori, which has the same texture throughout, Mirin has an outer and inner part. The outer part is crispy, while the inner part is more gelatinous.
Salted Mirin is a fun ingredient to experiment with because you can create interesting texture changes depending on how long you soak it to remove the salt.
If you rinse off the salt quickly, the outer crispiness remains prominent. The longer you soak it, say for 2-3 minutes, the inner texture becomes more apparent, giving it a softer, stickier feel.
This flexibility allows you to adjust the saltiness and texture to suit different dishes
One example is a salad with figs, tomatoes, and cheese paired with Mirin. If you rinse the salt off quickly, like you would when rinsing soba noodles, and then dry it thoroughly, you'll get a Mirin with a strong outer crunch and less inner stickiness.
This creates a salty flavor similar to prosciutto or Iberico ham. Adding a nutty oil to this mix enhances the flavor, making it taste like ham from acorn-fed pigs.
Another dish is Mirin namero. After thoroughly soaking out the salt, the inner part becomes sticky and slightly stringy, similar to okra.
This texture complements the texture of horse mackerel in a namero dish, creating a delightful combination.
Mirin, despite being a red algae, lacks the typical red algae aroma, giving it a mild taste that works well with various seasonings. You can marinate it in something like soy sauce for a unique flavor.
You can also marinate Mirin in roasted sake overnight to infuse it with umami, then pair it with enoki mushrooms and young ginger wrapped in perilla leaves. The flavor of roasted sake pairs wonderfully with Mirin, and enoki mushrooms have a similar texture, making them a great match.
Unlike Hijiki or Tosakanori, Mirin is best enjoyed in larger quantities rather than piece by piece, similar to how you’d eat somen or soba noodles.
It’s more enjoyable when you take a larger bite. Therefore, when using it in cooking, it's best to use it generously rather than just as a garnish.
One easy way is to add it to hot pot dishes as a substitute for shirataki noodles. Just add it at the end with other ingredients to avoid it from melting.
Another idea is to mix grated daikon radish with Mirin, in equal parts, and top it with ponzu sauce or dashi. The Mirin absorbs the daikon's spiciness while adding texture.
It also works great in tororo (yam) rice, where you mix it with grated yam for a sticky, gooey texture.
You could also try marinating Mirin in soy sauce, then adding wasabi and serving it over rice with a sprinkle of Suji-Aonori on top.
It’s a bit niche, but lately, I've been experimenting with seasoning seaweed with other types of seaweed.
Since no seaweed is perfect on its own, they can complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s why I find it interesting to create seaweed dishes with different flavor combinations.