Daikon and carrot salad (kohaku namasu)

Ingredients

½ daikon (see Note), thickly peeled

1 small carrot, peeled

60 ml (¼ cup) rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp Japanese salt-reduced soy sauce

baby red shiso (see Note), to serve (optional)

Instructions

Place 400 ml water and 3 tsp salt in a bowl. Cut vegetables into julienne, then immerse in salted water for 30 minutes or until they soften. Rinse, drain and set aside in a bowl.

Heat vinegar, mirin, soy and 60 ml water in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour mixture over vegetables, then set aside and cool.

Using your hands, squeeze vegetables gently to remove excess vinegar mixture. Place in bowls and serve scattered with shiso, if using. Serve with Japanese fried chicken kara-age.

Note

• Daikon is a type of white radish. Both this and the baby red shiso are from selected greengrocers and Asian food shops. As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 8, pg86. Photography by Brett Stevens.