Ryuji's Simmered Satsuma-age with Kanesada Fish Cakes, Seasoned Only with Salt and Kombu Dashi, Plus an Improvised "Mocchi Mochi" Snack

At the start, Ryuji asked about the response to the previous episode. The president said they had received many inquiries, and that the product drawing the biggest response was "Mocchi Mochi." Ryuji reflected that their viewers are quick to tell whether they're praising something just to be polite, and that last time it must have come across that they truly meant it when they said it was delicious.

Explaining why they chose this simmered dish, Ryuji said they had recently realized there is strong demand for dishes with plenty of dashi flavor that can also serve as a main course, and that since they turn 40 this year, they wanted to make gentler dishes. The ingredients are just daikon, Kanesada fish cakes, and seasonings. This time they use red pickled ginger tempura and squid tempura, but other fish cakes, such as vegetable satsuma-age, can be substituted. Ryuji explained that they kept the recipe very simple because they wanted to show how much good dashi comes out of fish cakes.

Because Ryuji loves drinking, the president had brought snacks that can be eaten just by heating them up. Filming proceeds as the two nibble on these and share drinks. Ryuji joked that both they and the president are shy around strangers.

The president explained that the first product is a fish cake meant to be eaten as-is in spring and summer, rather than simmered. It contains over 50% vegetables, designed to bring out the crisp texture of the vegetables and the springy texture of the squid. When Ryuji asked whether 50% filling wasn't quite high, the president said it was quite high.

Heating takes about one minute in the microwave. The president added, however, that the bag is not microwave-safe, and the recommended method is to transfer the contents to a plate before heating. Ryuji said they're lazy and would just put the bag straight in, then heated and tasted it, surprised at how much red pickled ginger was inside. They also remarked that people don't really have a habit of eating satsuma-age as-is. According to the president, many consumers think fish cakes can't be eaten without simmering. To change that image, the company is focusing on making products that are delicious eaten straight.

After also tasting one containing edamame, Ryuji commented that the base flavor of the fish cake must be so good that anything added to it turns out delicious. They then asked why it didn't taste oily, given the common image that satsuma-age needs to have its oil removed. The president answered that it is fried almost entirely in canola oil, so it should drain well.

On to the cooking. The guideline is 300 g of daikon, but 400 g was actually prepared, and Ryuji said 300–350 g is fine. Either the green top end or the tip can be used. The top end is sweeter and the tip less so, but Ryuji said the tip is fine because it gets sweeter as it simmers.

Without peeling, cut it into pieces about 1 cm thick. Ryuji's view is that once it's cooked, you won't notice the skin at all, and peeling it just reduces the edible portion, so it's better not to peel.

The stars of the dish, the red pickled ginger tempura and squid tempura, come about 100 g per pack, and each is cut diagonally. Cutting the red pickled ginger tempura diagonally makes the cross-section look attractive. The squid tempura is also cut diagonally, and Ryuji said it's delicious eaten together with the daikon.

Put the cut satsuma-age in a colander and pour boiling water over it to remove the oil. It's an extra step, but it reduces the oil, making the dish healthier and lighter, which Ryuji says they prefer. Their kitchen faucet dispenses 85°C water, so that's what they poured over it. When they asked the president whether it was okay not to use boiled water, the president said it was fine as long as it's hot. Ryuji explained that after pouring about two cupfuls, some oil floats up, though there wasn't much to begin with.

Put the daikon in a pot and add 250 cc of water, a scant half teaspoon of salt, and about 2/3 teaspoon of kombu dashi. Once it comes to a boil, cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer just the daikon for 10 minutes first.

This is the step Ryuji emphasized as "really important." It might seem better to simmer the daikon and satsuma-age together, but satsuma-age turns flabby when simmered for a long time. So the simmering times for the daikon and the satsuma-age are adjusted separately. This alone, Ryuji said, makes the dish so much better that it seems like a different dish.

The seasoning is just salt and kombu dashi. Ryuji explained that it still turns out delicious because Kanesada's satsuma-age is made with fish meat and releases plenty of dashi. They said they love how the finished dish tastes sweet even without sugar, and noted that during the previous oden episode, they had also mentioned how well satsuma-age releases dashi. To let people taste that dashi, they chose a simmered dish seasoned only with salt and a small amount of kombu dashi this time.

While the daikon simmered, they tasted the second snack. It contains squid and has a color as if deep-fried. Microwave heating time was 40 seconds. According to the president, this product is steamed once before being fried. Steaming cooks it slowly and thoroughly, resulting in a satsuma-age with a plump, springy texture that's delicious eaten as-is.

Ryuji said the aroma of green onion and ginger was strong, and noted that the texture was completely different, with a plump bite. The product is scheduled for release on March 1, and was designed to be heated and served as a side dish with rice. The president said eating it as-is is the most delicious way.

Following on from this, Ryuji said that another thing they like about satsuma-age is how low in calories it is. Eating a whole piece is just 85 kcal. They added that because it combines de-oiled satsuma-age with daikon, it becomes a healthy "diet meal," which really appeals to them. They also said that it's almost been 10 years since they started their activities, and fans who have been watching since the early days have gotten older too, so this recipe might resonate with those people.

Next, the president recommended a new shape of "Mocchi Mochi," which had also been popular last time. Previously it was long and thin, but this time it was released in a square shape to make it easier to picture as isobe-yaki. The long, thin version will be released again starting in September. Regarding ingredients, the president explained that it's mainly starch-based and contains potato.

According to the president, the most delicious way to eat it is like mochi isobe-yaki, and that method is also printed on the package. The steps are as follows:

1. Place the Mocchi Mochi in a frying pan without oil and cook until lightly browned
2. Drizzle lightly with soy sauce. Too much will make it salty, so go easy
3. Wrap in nori for rice balls. One sheet is about right for one piece

After tasting it, Ryuji was surprised that the texture was completely different from the previous long, thin version. The president said the texture changes depending on how it's cooked, but they had also improved the contents considerably. Ryuji said they had always liked Mocchi Mochi but never expected it to come out in this form, and that it's absolutely a snack to go with drinks. They urged the staff to try it too, repeating how amazing it was that simply cooking it with soy sauce and wrapping it in nori could make it this good. The president also suggested that cooking it in butter should be delicious.

After simmering for about 10–15 minutes, the daikon becomes translucent. Add the de-oiled satsuma-age at this point. You can move the daikon up on top first, but the flavor will come out even if everything simmers together, so just add the satsuma-age so it's submerged in the cooking liquid. Ryuji remarked on how the red of the red pickled ginger tempura stands out.

Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, and it's done. The president agreed that fish cakes are best simmered for about 5–10 minutes, as simmering too long makes them soft. Ryuji added that this is what makes Kanesada's fish cakes good.

While waiting for the simmered dish to finish, Ryuji said the Mocchi Mochi was so good that they wanted to make something more with it. They thought it would be delicious cooked steak-style with garlic and butter. This wasn't in the plan at all, and they added it after making clear it was only because the Mocchi Mochi was so good. When Ryuji asked, the president said Kanesada had never tried preparing it that way. Ryuji said that encountering flavors they don't know like this is why they can't stop doing corporate collaborations.

The method is simple. Cut the Mocchi Mochi into about three pieces. You can cook it whole, but cutting it makes it easier to share. Ryuji said that since it isn't actually mochi, it probably won't melt even when cut. Cook the Mocchi Mochi with plenty of garlic (3 cloves in the recipe) and butter (10 g in the recipe), and once it's browned, add soy sauce and sprinkle with chopped green onion to finish. Seeing how nicely it browned, Ryuji asked for it to be posted on Kanesada's website, and the president replied, "Please let us post it."

After 5 minutes of simmering, the daikon was meltingly tender. Ryuji described it as the daikon absorbing the umami of the satsuma-age and the simmered dish evolving. The seasoning is very simple, so people who have seen how Ryuji usually seasons things probably wouldn't expect this to be delicious, but they confidently declared it supremely tasty.

While tasting, they pointed out that even though the daikon had its skin on, it was tender and the skin wasn't noticeable, and that the satsuma-age, simmered for only the last 5 minutes, still had a plump texture, saying the key is to preserve the texture. The president also praised how the dashi from the satsuma-age had come out. Ryuji explained that it had a flavor that salt and kombu dashi alone could never produce, that fish cakes release dashi even with brief simmering, and that this is exactly why it's better not to add anything extra. They also added that, if you like, a kick of yuzu kosho turns it into a snack to go with drinks.

As for the garlic butter version, Ryuji explained that the Mocchi Mochi itself is slightly sweet, and that combines with the butter flavor and garlic, rating it so highly that they said they'd become a regular at any izakaya that served it. The president also tasted it and was surprised at how delicious it was despite being so easy to make.

To wrap up, Ryuji laughed that the satsuma-age simmered dish was supposed to be the star, but Mocchi Mochi stole the show. Even so, they said the simmered dish is a handy everyday dish, and that Mocchi Mochi is dangerously delicious. Predicting that viewers would flood the company with inquiries, they called out to people at supermarkets and elsewhere that it had their seal of approval.

When Ryuji asked how to buy it outside of supermarkets, the president said it's sold at the company's directly operated stores. Whether the online store would be ready in time was touch and go. Ryuji asked them to hurry, saying they had a feeling people would make a fuss if it wasn't available, and told the president, "Let's sell both Mocchi Mochi and satsuma-age properly," bringing the filming to a close.