Welcome to Sushi Monday! Edamame with Ponzu Sauce

Sushi Monday: This past Friday, my friend Anja gave me and our friend, Clare, a tutorial in the art of vegan sushi at Clare’s loft. For a couple of years now, my friends Anja and Mikey have hosted vegan sushi nights. They spend all day in the kitchen, eventually turning out massive platters of mouth-watering, sumptuous, fabulously creative vegan sushi. That’s right. Vegan. Sushi. Meat-eaters and vegans alike rejoice at the presentation of this “sushi.” It is that good. And this past weekend, she was kind enough to impart her knowledge in a tutorial for me and our friend Clare.

We spent Friday evening learning the basics of sushi preparation, practicing making rolls and experimenting with flavor combinations. The results were delicious, and I am incredibly pleased to share them with you. However, since Anja’s lesson was so comprehensive, I have decided to split it into a series, hereafter known as Sushi Monday. Here is the first recipe.

Edamame with Ponzu: The first part of the series will focus on a recipe that takes into account Anja’s first piece of advice: have snacks while making the sushi. Since sushi is a bit of a time-consuming process, you’ll want something for you and your guests to nibble on while you’re preparing the sushi or waiting for the main event. Something simple and light, yet flavorful, is best. I find edamame (soybeans in the pod) with Ponzu sauce (a citrus and soy-based dipping sauce) to be the perfect dish to fit this bill. Not only does it fit all of the above criteria, but it is also consistent with many of the flavor profiles you’ll be using for the sushi. We made this the other night, and it was delectable. And while this isn’t sushi, per se, I find it to be a necessary element of any good sushi party.

Edamame: This is incredibly easy, and makes a fun appetizer while people are waiting, since people are required to use their hands. Edamame is also high in protein (bonus!). I use frozen edamame, still in their shells, of course. It’s a personal preference, but they’re cheaper frozen and easy to eat with your hands when they’re still in their pods.

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen edamame pods
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Preparation:

Cut the ends of the pods, if you like. I usually skip this step, but you always have the option.
Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a small-ish saucepan.
Dissolve salt into boiling water.
Add edamame and boil until pods are just tender. Do not over-cook.
Drain thoroughly and transfer to a plate or bowl, and have an extra vessel for discarding pods.

Vegan Ponzu (dipping sauce): Since most bottled Ponzu sauces contain bonito (fish), my comrades and I decided to make our own. It’s also cheaper than buying bottled, and since this is another recipe with flexible ratios, you can adjust it to your taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup soy sauce, shoyu or tamari
¾ cup lemon juice
¼ cup white rice vinegar
Cayenne pepper to taste (start with a pinch)

Preparation:

Combine these in a small bowl and whisk together to integrate the ingredients thoroughly. Use for dipping warm edamame.

To eat, dip edamame pods in Ponzu sauce and use your teeth to squeeze the beans out of the pod. Discard the pod into your trash bowl.

Enjoy!