I reached a point, deep into London’s third heatwave of the summer, when I could no longer stomach the idea of hot food. After eating scrambled eggs and toast, I could almost feel their warmth radiating from within my stomach, heating me from the inside out. It was, in a word, undesirable.
Instead, I’ve found relief in bowls of iced cherries and having homemade ice cream for dinner. Eating salted tomatoes, crisps and wedges of cheese. Grazing, having picky dinners, building my own aperitif spreads. Whatever you want to call it, the only rule is as little heat – and cooking – as possible.
After receiving a can of Donzoko’s Radler Yuzu, I had a new source of inspiration for a Japanese-themed no-cooking dinner. I thought first of hiyayakko, an extremely simple and blissfully refreshing dish of chilled silken tofu, dressed in soy sauce and garnished with freshly grated ginger and spring onions. To make a feast of it, I went to my local fishmonger for sushi-grade salmon and turned it into a quick-marinated sashimi dish, featuring more soy and ginger, plus mirin, sesame oil and yuzu juice. Then, to round it out, I broke my no-cooking rule by boiling frozen edamame pods – less than five minutes on the stove seemed just about manageable – before sprinkling them with salt and dried yuzu zest.
The result was a deliciously satisfying spread that came together in less than 30 minutes and which refreshed as much as it sated. If you want to have people round for a casual-but-impressive summer dinner in the garden, it’d be hard to do better.
It’d also be hard to find a better pairing than this Radler Yuzu. I’m a fan of pretty much everything Donzoko makes – this beer, with its bready wheat beer base and an electrifying bolt of yuzu juice, is no exception. At just 2.5% ABV, it’s summery perfection. The fact it goes so well with some of my favourite Japanese dishes ensures it’ll be my seasonal staple – at least as long as the heat hangs around.
Marinated Tofu, Sashimi & Yuzu Edamame
Serves 4 as a light meal
For the edamame:
500g frozen edamame in pods
2 teaspoons dried yuzu zest (or substitute fresh lemon zest)
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
For the sashimi:
450g sushi-grade salmon
1 2-inch piece ginger
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon yuzu juice (or substitute lemon juice)
½ tablespoon sesame oil
Dried yuzu zest, to garnish (or substitute fresh lemon zest)
For the marinated tofu:
600g silken tofu
3-4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2-3 spring onions, finely diced
Sesame seeds or furikake, to garnish
1. First, cook the edamame: Add to a pan of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until plump and bright green. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Next, prepare the sashimi. Using a very sharp knife, carefully remove the skin from the salmon (if your fishmonger hasn’t already). Gently run your fingers down the fillet and remove any pin bones you find. Slice into even segments; mine were roughly 2 inches long and ⅓-inch thick. Arrange in a layer on a serving plate and transfer to the fridge to chill while you prepare the marinade.
3. Make the sashimi marinade. First, peel the ginger and grate using a microplane. Transfer half of the grated ginger to a small bowl (reserve the other half, which you’ll use for the tofu) and add the remaining marinade ingredients. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
4. Next, very carefully remove the silken tofu from the packaging to avoid breaking it into pieces. Line a small plate with paper towels and place the tofu on top; gently cover with an additional paper towel and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Afterwards, unwrap and carefully transfer to your serving dish. Using a paring knife, slice into even segments.
5. When ready to serve, transfer the edamame to a large bowl and season with the dried yuzu zest (or fresh lemon zest) and flaky sea salt.
6. Next, finish preparing the tofu. Drizzle over the soy sauce. Season with the reserved grated ginger and top with half of the spring onions (reserve the other half for the salmon). Garnish with sesame seeds or furikake.
7. Finally, pour the prepared marinade over the salmon. Sprinkle over the reserved spring onions, and garnish with the dried yuzu zest (or fresh lemon zest). Serve everything together, with glasses of Donzoko Radler Yuzu on the side.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer, a beer hound and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our HB&B All Killer No Filler beer subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings, plus expert tasting notes, with 10 world-class beers like this one every month.