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Neri Zahav's avatar

Raise your hand if you're from the south and did the same thing 🙋‍♂️ 😭🤣 I love that you are so honest about this. I definitely sat in an ACE sushi restaurant in Toronto trying to bite through a pod in front of *many* people.

I'm really looking forward to trying these recipes!

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Oy! I feel like edamame should come with a PSA because those tough shells are so unpleasant. Did no one try to help you?

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Vicky Saint-Ange's avatar

Hi Marisa !

I have discovered you in the season 2 of Master Sushi (the 6th episode was on air yesterday evening in France) and I'm really happy to find your substack. I'll not be able to go to taste your own cooking since we have an ocean between us, but I hope I'll follow how things go for you and try some of your recipe.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Hi Vicky!

Thank you for saying hello. I'm so glad you're here! We're still waiting (1 week to go!) for the episodes to be available here in the US. I'm glad you joined my Substack. I'll be sharing some behind the scenes from the show soon!

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Melissa Norman's avatar

I think I did the same thing! Love having them as a starter.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

They really should come with a PSA, haha.

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Clare Heal's avatar

Love these ideas for flavour combos!

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Thank you! Something fun when you're feeling a little more than simply salted.

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N Leana's avatar

Great tips and suggestions, thank you! Eating edamame is such a sensory experience when done "right" ☺️. But it's hardly obvious how it "should" be done - as you say, the pods need to come with a disclaimer for the uninitiated.

Interestingly, snowpeas suffer from lack of proper information too. In Asian cuisine, they're actually prized for the refreshing crunch and delicacy of the pods, not for the peas themselves, so they should be harvested very young, before the pods get thick and stringy, and even before the peas have fully formed. But some producers who export them to Asia still don't seem to be aware of this, so they "age" the pods till they're practically bursting with pearly peas, and they're left wondering why no one wants their snowpeas 😂.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

You are so right about snow peas. The first time I had them, I was working at a family owned Cantonese restaurant. They were such a delight. Then I had them in a different setting and nearly chocked on a stringy one.

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N Leana's avatar

Oh the tender young ones are so lovely, aren't they? We often julienne them really thin and scatter through fried rice or noodles for added texture and an almost herby lift. Most people use bean sprouts but they tend to get soggy.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Oh, that sounds really good. I need to try that next time I get my hands on some nice ones.

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N Leana's avatar

Oh please do! We also do a brunoise and sprinkle some over ramen eggs ☺️.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

That sounds amazing!

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Wolfgang's avatar

I also like adding Shichimi Togarashi and sometimes a little chili oil.

In Japanese, shichi means ‘seven’ and togarashi refers to chilli, plus to any chilli-heavy spice mix. So, basically, shichimi togarashi means ‘seven spice’. Or ‘seven-flavored chilli pepper’ if you want to be super literal.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

I put shichimi togarashi on so many things. I feel like it’s so underutilized. Or maybe it’s misunderstood because it’s not as bold and in your face as say gochugaru.

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Wolfgang's avatar

Gochugaru is a favorite Korean chili powder that I keep on hand.

Edamame makes a wonderful purée too, especially when spiked with truffles.

I think of edamame as Japanese fava beans, but they’re ever so much easier to prepare and are just as sweet.

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Oh wow! I never thought about adding truffle to edamame puree! I'm definitely going to try that. Thanks for that tip!

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Wolfgang's avatar

I’ll send you my simple recipe later 🙃

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Marisa Baggett's avatar

Thank you! I would love that!

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Wolfgang's avatar

Purée

-1 tablespoon canola oil

-½ cup thinly sliced shallots

-Salt and freshly ground white pepper

-2 cups Chicken Stock (page 14) or low-sodium canned broth

-2 cups shelled fresh or thawed frozen edamame (soybeans in the pod)

-2 cups spinach leaves

-1 tablespoon white truffle oil

-1 tablespoon cold butter

-2 tablespoons finely chopped black truffle

-¼ cup chives cut into ½-inch lengths

Truffle oil, for garnish

Set up a double boiler.

To make the puree, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and sauté, stirring, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

Add the stock, raise the heat, and bring to a boil.

Correct the seasonings; the stock should be well flavored.

Add 1¾ cups of the edamame, reduce the heat, and simmer until the edamame are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

During the last 2 minutes, add the spinach and allow the leaves to wilt.

Transfer to a food processor and puree.

Add the truffle oil and butter and pulse to incorporate fully.

Remove to a small bowl and fold in the truffles; the heat from the puree will release the fragrance of the truffles.

Keep warm in the double boiler.

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Linda Naylor's avatar

I did the exact same thing the first time I tried them, Marisa. Oh, good grief.

Thankfully, I didn't have to admit it to anyone (until now.) When I realized there really are two stages to peeling, the resultant effort was so worth it. Love, love, them!

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