Japanese Curry Brick Food

JAPANESE CURRY BRICK

Steps:

• In a large skillet, toast cinnamon, bay leaf, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and cardamom pods over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the spices. Transfer the toasted ingredients to a spice grinder.
• Add the mushroom, kombu and peppercorns to the spice grinder, and grind at the highest speed for 30 seconds. Shake the grinder a couple of times as you blend to make sure the cinnamon stick is pulverized. (You can also grind the spices in batches, if necessary.) Transfer the pulverized spices to a small bowl. Add the orange zest, turmeric, ginger, sea salt, paprika and cayenne pepper.
• To make the roux, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter is nearly melted, lower the heat to medium-low. Gradually whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux turns light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. Turn off the heat, add the spice mix and stir until well combined.
• Divide the mixture among three mini aluminum loaf pans, adding about 3/4 cup per loaf pan, or transfer the entire mixture to a parchment-lined quarter-size sheet tray. Let cool for a few minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge so the bricks can solidify. Once firm, unmold, cut each brick into 9 small curry brick cubes (or, if using a sheet tray, cut the mixture into 27 pieces total) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for about a month or in the freezer for 3 months.

JAPANESE CURRY WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• For the curry brick: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter is nearly melted, turn the heat to low. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste turns light brown, about 3 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the curry powder. Pour the mixture into a heat-safe mold of your choosing, such as a mini loaf pan or cupcake cup. Use immediately in paste form or smooth the top and place in the freezer to set (at least 20 minutes). Unmold; you can use the brick immediately or refrigerate or freeze it (see Cook's Note).
• For the fukujinzuke: Combine the dried chile, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sake and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add the daikon, beets, carrot, mushrooms, eggplant and ginger and bring back up to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let stand for 2 minutes, then strain the vegetables through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Fold in the cucumber.
• Return the liquid to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer again over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Enjoy right away or transfer the pickled vegetables to a glass jar with a lid and pour the liquid over the vegetables. Stir with a spoon. Allow to cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The flavor is best if refrigerated a day or two, but it can also be eaten right away.
• For the curry: Shell and devein the shrimp. Rinse and drain the shells and set aside. Make a dashi (broth) by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and the bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the mixture. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by almost half (you want about 4 1/2 cups strained dashi), 20 to 30 minutes.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. You will have about 4 1/2 cups of dashi. This can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.
• To make the curry, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into a large saucepan or 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the minced yellow onion, tomatoes, remaining 2 tablespoons ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons garlic. Cook until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups of the shrimp dashi and simmer 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sake and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
• Add the curry brick to the pot, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. The sauce should now have a velvety, thick but pourable consistency. If the sauce is too thick, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dashi or water.
• Add the deveined, deshelled shrimp and mushrooms to the sauce. Stir to coat and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chile if using. Season with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the honey if you want the curry to be sweeter.
• Remove from the heat and serve over fresh-cooked rice or udon noodles and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve with a mound of fukujinzuke on the side.
• Wrap the cinnamon and allspice berries in a kitchen towel, then use a meat mallet to break into smaller pieces. Toast the whole spices by combining the cinnamon pieces, allspice berries pieces, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook until fragrant and the mustard seeds just begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Stir often and be careful not to burn the spices. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Place the toasted cooled spices, kombu and shiitake mushroom in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Shake and tap the grinder a couple of times to ensure all spices are ground. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the ground ginger, turmeric, paprika and cayenne and combine with a fork or a small whisk. Store the curry powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.