Try bamboo shoots and soy sauce in your Japanese dessert

SINGAPORE — Chef-owner Janice Wong has achieved much since opening her feted outlet, 2am: dessertbar, in 2007.

And the award-winning chef has built a reputation for developing the delectably unexpected along the way. But while this petit champ’s progressive approach to desserts keeps her driven to the fore, her inspiration is sometimes drawn from the simplest things.

This particular recipe for Cassis Plum, for instance, is inspired by the vibrant colours and blossoming of flowers in Japan during spring time. That said, it also features ingredients that one would not immediately think of adding to a dessert — such as bamboo shoots and soya sauce.

“The bamboo shoots are marinated in a home-made teriyaki sauce for 24 hours and dried for another six hours,” Wong explained, adding that she never sees one ingredient as being exclusive to a specific dish. “It would (instead) make me think of how I could use it for pastries with its given texture.”

She also shared how she would often use soy sauce in the same way she would apply salt. Other uniquely Japanese ingredients she has found surprisingly useful when creating desserts include miso, ume (Japanese apricot) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).

Wong serves a similar dessert at her restaurant, paired with elderflower yoghurt and Umeshu foam, and alongside some dehydrated “raspberry rice crispies”, which are essentially dehydrated rice coated in white chocolate and raspberry powder.

“At the bar, we would pair this dessert with a cocktail made with Umeshu and elderflower. Or you can serve it with a very smooth sake,” she added. How deliciously appropriate. DON MENDOZA

Cassis plum

(Makes 10)

Cassis ball

Ingredients

15g gelatin

300ml water

200g white chocolate

400g cassis puree

2g agar

Method

1. Heat puree, water and bloomed gelatin in a pot until the gelatin dissolved.

2. Add agar and blend until smooth.

3. Melt white chocolate in separate bowl. Then combine with rest of ingredients and sieve well.

4. Place all ingredients into a siphon, charge with two cream charges.

5. Pipe mixture into silicon moulds and freeze.

6. When half-frozen, remove the middle of the mixture and continue freezing the hollowed shells.

7. When completely frozen, combine two half shells to make a ball. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

Umeshu jelly

100g Choya Shiso (plum liquor)

140ml water

4g gelatin

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan over medium heat.

2. Sieve the mixture through a fine sieve and reserve in chiller until ready to serve.

Teriyaki sauce bamboo shoot pastilles

(makes 30)

200g bamboo shoots

200ml soy sauce

50g brown sugar

50ml mirin

10g ginger, grated

Method

Combine all ingredients except bamboo shoots; mix well over medium heat then sieve through a fine sieve.

1. Add bamboo shoots and marinade for 24 hours in the chiller.

2. Sieve well and reserve bamboo shoots.

3. Dehydrate bamboo shoots in an oven at 60 degrees C for 4 hours; coat in sugar after the first hour of dehydration.

4. Reserve at room temperature in an air tight container.

Assembly

1. Place Umeshu jelly in the middle of the plate.

2. Place the cassis ball on top of the jelly

3. Sprinkle 5 bamboo pastilles around the plate. Serve immediately. Recipe: Cassis plum