A staple of the Japanese temple vegetarian kitchen, nama fu (fresh wheat gluten) boasts a satisfyingly chewy texture and easily absorbs the flavors of other foods with which it is cooked. In Japan, it appears in many guises on many menus, both vegetarian and not. At elegant kaiseki establishments, you will find thin slices shaped and tinted to resemble foliage (green maple leaves in summertime, turning yellow then red as autumn deepens) or flowers (pink plum blossoms for New Year, cherry blossoms in the spring) and floated in broths or simmered dishes. Home cooks will sometimes add a few fancy-shaped slices to “dress up” an otherwise ordinary dish. At izakaya (pubs), however, nama fu is typically cut into slabs or disks, slathered with aromatic miso, and broiled dengaku style. (You could add slabs of grilled tōfu, briefly drained, to the disks of nama fu if you wanted to make this a more substantial dish.)
Nama fu is not readily available outside Japan, so I have provided the directions for making it from scratch. The original shōjin recipe required earnest temple acolytes to knead the dough for hours to develop the gluten, then rinse away the starch (this starchy water was then evaporated to produce ukiko, a fine, silky powder used in making confectionary). My recipe, which calls for vital wheat gluten and mochiko (sticky rice flour), is less time-consuming and physically less demanding.
Ingredients
- ½ cup vital wheat gluten, tapped down and leveled, about 3½ ounces
- 2 tablespoons mochiko, about ½ ounce
- ½ teaspoon ao nori
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons mugi miso
- Scant 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon saké
- 2 tablespoons stock, preferably Basic Kelp Stock, or cold water
- ½ teaspoon aromatic sesame oil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon each white and black sesame seeds, freshly dry-roasted
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Make the Dough
- Combine the vital wheat gluten and mochiko in a bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly among 2 bowls. Add the ao nori to 1 bowl and add the turmeric to the other bowl. Stir the contents of each bowl to mix thoroughly. Then add 2 tablespoons of water to each bowl a spoonful at a time, stirring to mix. Gather the contents of each bowl into a smooth, soft ball of dough, and place each ball in a small, sturdy resealable plastic bag. Seal the bags and let both doughs rest for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours at cool room temperature. During this resting time, the dough will become soft, stretchy, and slightly sticky. If you want to keep the doughs longer, you can refrigerate them for up to 2 days but bring them back to room temperature before continuing. Make the dengaku Sauce
- Combine the miso, sugar, saké, and stock in a small saucepan and stir well to combine. Place over low heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until glossy, aromatic, and the consistency of tomato paste. The sauce can sputter and splatter, so use a long-handled wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir to prevent burns. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool naturally to room temperature. The sauce will stiffen as it cools. (The sauce can be made up to 2 weeks in advance, then refrigerated in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.)
- Remove the rested balls of dough from the plastic bags. They will be slightly sticky. Gently roll each ball between your palms to form a cylinder about 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Set each roll on a damp 8-inch square of sarashi or other finely woven cloth. (The cloths will become tinted yellow and green, respectively, but they can be reused several times, rinsing and drying after each use.) Roll up to enclose, and secure the ends with rubber bands.
- Ready a steamer. When the steam is flowing freely, place the rolls in the steamer and steam for 10 to 12 minutes. They will be become slightly aromatic and very firm. Remove the steamer from the stove top, but keep it lidded. Allow the rolls to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the rolls from the steamer and rinse them briefly under cold running water. Shake off the excess moisture, then remove the cloth from each roll. The ao nori roll will have become quite green and the turmeric roll a golden yellow. Place the rolls in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to serve. They will keep for up to 5 days. Or, wrap snugly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 weeks; thaw them slowly in the refrigerator. Once they are thawed, use them within 24 hours.
- When ready to serve, slice each roll into disks about ¼ inch thick. Arrange these flat on a piece of aluminum foil that will fit under your broiler or on the tray of a toaster oven. If you are concerned about the stickiness of the disks, lightly grease the foil with the sesame oil. Using a small spatula or knife, spread a bit of the dengaku sauce on each disk. Broil the disks for 2 minutes, or until the sauce becomes bubbly, aromatic, and slightly crusted. Allow the disks to cool for 1 minute, then peel them off the foil.
- To make serving—and eating—simple, thread 2 or 3 disks onto a wooden skewer (the skewers will be easier to insert into disks that are still warm). You can mix colors (and flavors) on a single skewer or keep them separate. Continue until all disks are threaded onto skewers. Garnish with the sesame seeds and serve.