Koji
Asparagus with Parsley Shio Koji Sauce and Almond Milk Foam
Lightly boiled asparagus on a green sauce of parsley, shio koji and almond milk, topped with a soft almond milk foam. A final drizzle of olive oil brings it all together. Dairy-free and fully plant-based.
- Serves
- Serves 2
- Time
- About 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Asparagus5 spears
- Salt (for boiling)a pinch
Parsley sauce
- Parsley (stems and leaves separated)2 sprigs
- Onion1/8
- Almond milk50 ml
- Shio koji1/2 tsp
- Black peppera pinch
Foam and finish
- Almond milk50 ml
- Smoked salt (or regular salt)a pinch
- Black peppera pinch
- Olive oilto drizzle
- Hemp seeds (optional)a sprinkle
Method
- Trim the ends of the asparagus and peel the bottom 10 cm or so with a peeler. Separate the parsley stems and leaves.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the salt. Boil the asparagus and parsley stems for about 1 1/2 minutes. Dip them briefly in iced water to keep the colour, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Bundle the asparagus and tie it in two places with the softened parsley stems.
- Blend the parsley leaves, onion, 50 ml almond milk, shio koji and black pepper until smooth.
- Warm the remaining 50 ml almond milk to about 60°C and froth it with a milk frother.
- Pour the parsley sauce onto a plate and lay the asparagus bundle on top. Spoon over the almond milk foam, sprinkle with smoked salt and black pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter with hemp seeds, if using.
Tips
- Shio koji is a Japanese seasoning made from rice koji, salt and water. A little gives the sauce a rounder taste than salt alone. Find it at Japanese grocery stores or online, or make your own. If you have none, use a small pinch of salt.
- Overcooked asparagus loses its colour and crunch. Lift it out after about 1 1/2 minutes and dip it in iced water to keep it bright green.
- Boiled with the asparagus, the parsley stems soften enough to use as string for tying the bundle.
- Warming the almond milk a little before frothing gives a finer foam. Barista-style almond milk froths even more easily.
- The olive oil drizzled at the end brings the sauce, foam and asparagus together.
- If the onion tastes too sharp, soak it in water for about 5 minutes first.
- The parsley sauce is brightest freshly made. Eat it the same day.
Parsley sauce and almond milk foam wrap the asparagus in a soft, mellow flavour, with a little shio koji for roundness. In UMAMI & KOJI LAB in Tokyo, you learn how koji works and make koji seasonings to take home.
First published in ELLE gourmet (Japan).
