Mame Kazunoko (Green Soybeans and Herring Roe in Dashi)

Quick answer

Total time: 65 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Mame kazunoko is a Fukushima New Year dish.

Aobata green soybeans are soaked overnight and boiled until tender but intact, while salted herring roe is slowly desalted in cold water, stripped of membrane, cut to bite-size pieces, and combined with the beans in bonito dashi and mentsuyu. Flat, firm beans contrast with the crisp grains of roe. Prepare each component separately, cool it fully, then bring them together in cold seasoning. Dried soybeans must cook through until no raw or chalky center remains. Use only salted roe labeled ready to eat and keep it at 4C or below throughout desalting.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

dried Aobata green soybeans300 gg

water for soaking beans1000 mlml

ready-to-eat salted herring roe125 gg

bonito dashi200 mlml

triple-concentrated mentsuyu2 tbsptbsp

salt¼ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Sort 300g dried Aobata soybeans, discard damaged beans, and rinse.

Cover with 1000ml water in a large pot and soak 10 to 12 hours in the refrigerator at 4C or below.
2

Control

Bring beans and soaking water to a boil and skim.

Simmer 20 to 30 minutes; split one, and when no raw aroma or white chalky center remains, drain and cool completely.
3

Season

Submerge salted roe in 1000ml cold water and refrigerate.

Change with fresh cold water every 8 hours for 24 to 48 hours; taste a small cut and remove when no longer excessively salty.
4

Prep

Peel the thin membrane from the roe with fingers and rinse once in clean cold water.

Blot dry, cut to bite-size 2cm pieces, and hold at 4C or below.
5

Control

Mix 200ml bonito dashi with 2 tablespoons mentsuyu.

Taste and use up to 1/4 teaspoon salt only if needed. Put cooled beans and roe in a covered container and pour in seasoning.
6

Finish

Fold twice from bottom to top without breaking roe and marinate 2 hours at 4C or below.

Drain a little liquid with a clean spoon and serve beans and roe evenly chilled.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Aobata soybeans soaked overnight and fully cooked
Finish cue: Fold twice from bottom to top without breaking roe and marinate 2 hours at 4C or below.
Storage and reheating: Aobata green soybeans are soaked overnight and boiled until tender but intact, while salted herring roe is slowly desalted in cold water, stripped of membrane, cut to bite-size pieces, and combined with the beans in bonito dashi and mentsuyu.