Recipe 8 - Squid and Taro Stew

Squid and Taro Stew is the eight recipe in Sweetness and Lightning.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

• 800 g taro
• 2(3 if small) Japanese squid
• some okra

• A: 500 cc dashi stock, 3 tbsp each of sake and mirin, 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Steps

1. Wash the taro carefully and scrape off any mud or roots. Wipe any water off, leave them in a strainer, and once dry, peel (cutting deeply into the taro).
2. Put your fingers into the hoot of the squid and pull out the legs and organs. Take out the cartilage and rinse the inside of the hood. Then cut into rings, leaving the skin on. Separate the legs and organs below the eyes and remove the beak. Use a knife to remove the suckers from the legs and cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. Put A into a pot and boil. Then add the hood from Step 2. Once the broth starts to boil again, add the tentacles of the squid and let it cook for a minute. Then remove the squid from the pot.
4. Add the taro to the pot from Step 3 and cover it with a drop lid. Once the stew starts to boil again, turn the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.
5. Once the taro is soft, season to taste. Put in the okra, and when it starts to boil again, add the squid from Step 3 and stir. Turn off the heat before everything gets overly boiled.

Side notes

1. Taro is slippery when wet. It will be easier to peel if you let it dry first!
2. After this, let it sit and stir once in a while to allow the taste to soak in.