World-Acclaimed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
Squid Pasta with Light Garlic Sauce Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 4 broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces • 120 g / 41⁄2 oz cuttlefish or squid tubes • 4 teaspoons butter • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced • 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed • 6 spears of asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces • 3 tablespoons sake • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • Sea salt • Black pepper • Shichimi togarashi powder (optional)
METHOD
1 Boil the broccoli for 90 seconds in a small pot of boiling water with a pinch of sea salt. Drain the broccoli with a colander and then plunge it into iced water and drain.
2 Pat the cuttlefish/squid dry with paper towels. Cut it into two-inch wide strips. Use a knife to make deep vertical incisions down the length of each strip along the grain and close together. When the cuttlefish/squid cooks and curls, the incisions will give it a conchiglie-like appearance. After the cuttlefish/squid is cooked, cut it parallel to the incisions into half-inch wide strips. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.
3 Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and sauté the garlic slices. When the aroma of the garlic has been released, turn the heat up to high, add the shiitake mushrooms and fry lightly. Add the cuttlefish, asparagus and broccoli in that order. Season with a bit of sea salt and black pepper.
4 When the cuttlefish/squid is about 70% cooked (the surface should turn opaque), add the sake and soy sauce in a swirling motion just before turning off the heat. Mix the contents of the pan to distribute the sauce evenly. Top it with shichimi togarashi powder if you have it.
TIPS FROM OUR CHEFS
If you can’t fifind fresh cuttlefifish or squid, you can substitute them with frozen ones. Allow it to thaw completely, then rinse and pat dry with a paper towel before slicing. You can also replace shiitake mushrooms with mixed mushrooms or any mushrooms you have.
tjThe complete article can be found in Issue #282 of the Tokyo Journal.