Cook the local flavors once more

Jibuni

From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen

The finished jibuni with sudare-fu, carrots and greens

A simmered dish of Ishikawa made with duck, sudare-fu and seasonal vegetables, said to have been eaten by samurai households since at least the Edo period. Coating the meat in flour seals in its flavor and thickens the broth, and wasabi is placed on top as a garnish. The name may come from Okabe Jibuemon, who served the Kaga domain, or from the "jibu-jibu" sound of simmering. Homes often use chicken instead of duck, and so did I.

Ingredients

Chicken
Flour
Sudare-fu (wheat gluten sheets)
Shiitake
Carrots
Leeks
Leafy greens
Wasabi

How I made it

Carve a star into the shiitake and cut the leeks and carrots
Coat the chicken in flour
Add the chicken to the pot of simmering vegetables
Add the sudare-fu and simmer
Serve with greens and top with wasabi

Sources: maff.go.jp

This moment in the journey

Jibuni, simmered until it bubbles

Tonight I would try a Kanazawa local dish. In the kitchen at the back of the house I cut leeks, carrots and shiitake, carving a star into each mushroom cap.

I coated the chicken in flour; this seals in the flavor and thickens the broth. At the gas stove beside the tiled sink, I added the chicken to the pot of simmering vegetables.

And don't forget Kaga's specialty, sudare-fu. I added the wheat gluten, striped like a bamboo blind, and once everything had simmered and bubbled, the jibuni was ready. I added some greens and carried it to the room with the sunken hearth.

Watch this scene on YouTube5:04

Read this scene in the full journey