Recipe/Directions for Fuki with Egg-Stuffed Tofu Pockets

Directions

Remove leaves from the fuki and cut into lengths that will fit into a pot. Salt and roll with pressure back and forth on a cutting board and then boil in hot water for 3 to 4 minutes. Place in ice water, peel and cut into 5 cm (2 in.) lengths.
Pour hot water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, cut each slice in half and form pockets opening from the cut side. Crack one egg into each pocket and seal with a toothpick.
Place (A) in a pot and bring to a boil, add in the fuki (1) and the egg-stuffed tofu pockets (2), and then simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Checkpoints

Fuki/Japanese butterbur - rolling in salt

Place the fuki on a cutting board, sprinkle on some salt, and roll the fuki back and forth with your palms. Use about 2 Tbsp of salt per 4 to 5 stalks. Rolling in salt will make the color more vivid and the skin easier to peel.

Fuki/Japanese butterbur - peeling the skin

Boil, soak in cold water, and then peel off the thin layer of skin. If you peel back several strips about 3 cm (1.2 in.) long and then gather these together and pull off the skin all at once, the peel can be efficiently removed without ripping half way through.

Dashi (bonito) prepared using a tea bag

When making simmered dishes, place about 15 g (0.5 oz.) of dried bonito flakes into a tea bag for 1000 ml (33.8 fl. oz.) of water, and add the tea bag in with all other ingredients to prepare deeply-flavored and savory simmered dishes.

Dashi (bonito) prepared using a tea strainer

This method is convenient for preparing small amounts of dashi, such as soup for one person, ohitashi (boiled vegetables seasoned with dashi and soy sauce), sesame dressing, etc. Place dried bonito flakes (about 5 g /0.2 oz.) into a tea strainer and pour in 200 ml (6.8 fl. oz.) of hot water.