Red Wine Miso Braised Daikon with Truffled Edamame Silk

Introduction

As the frost settles on the temple gardens, the winter daikon reaches its peak sweetness. This dish is a quiet dialogue between the slow, patient braising techniques of the West and the deep umami of our house-aged red miso. It is a meditation on time, gravity, and the earth's quiet transition into winter.

Ingredients

• 1 large winter daikon (approx 1kg), peeled and cut into 4cm rounds
• 500ml Kombu dashi (cold-extracted overnight)
• 200ml Vegan dry red wine (such as a Japanese Muscat Bailey A or Pinot Noir)
• 3 tbsp Aged red miso (Aka Miso)
• 2 tbsp Tamari (aged)
• 1 piece Dried kombu (5cm square)
• 200g Fresh edamame, shelled
• 1 tsp Black truffle oil or fresh truffle shavings
• 10cm Burdock root (gobo), shaved into thin ribbons
• Small handful of micro-shiso or seasonal purple flowers
• 1 tsp Organic coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Begin by beveling the edges of the daikon rounds (mentori) with a sharp knife to prevent them from breaking during the long simmer.
2. Parboil the daikon in rice-wash water (togijiru) for 15 minutes to remove any bitterness, then rinse gently in cold water.
3. In a heavy bottomed ceramic pot, combine the kombu dashi, red wine, tamari, and the piece of kombu. Place the daikon rounds in a single layer.
4. Bring to a very faint simmer. Cover with an otoshibuta (drop lid) and cook on the lowest heat possible for 90 minutes. The daikon should become translucent and dark with the wine.
5. In the final 15 minutes, whisk the red miso and coconut sugar with a little of the braising liquid until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. Let it glaze the radish slowly.
6. While the daikon rests, steam the edamame for 5 minutes. Blend with a splash of dashi and truffle oil until it reaches a silken, airy consistency.
7. Flash-fry the shaved burdock ribbons in a neutral oil until golden and crisp, mimicking the flavor of binchotan smoke.
8. To plate, place a generous sweep of the green edamame silk on an asymmetric ceramic plate. Position one daikon round slightly off-center. Top with a nest of crispy burdock and a single shiso bud.

Eat with presence. Feel the warmth of the binchotan-kissed burdock and the depth of the fermented miso. In this bowl, the seasons meet and find stillness. May it nourish your spirit as much as your body.

Hiroshi