No bean rules
Sometimes you remember that you have an amazing ingredient that you have not used in a while, and you avail it upon yourself to attempt something with it. You find yourself in a rut otherwise; you know there are other options. And that is where I found myself when I came to the realization that yes, I did bring back two jars of yuzu kosho from Japan; and yes, there already are two open jars of yuzu kosho in my fridge. You know where this is going. You barely need to read the rest of this, but you’re going to anyway.
Yuzu kosho, for those in the back, is probably Japan’s spiciest condiment, which isn’t saying much. It comes in two varietals: green, which uses jalapeños; and red, which uses bird’s eye chiles. I prefer the red, but both have their functions, and I always keep both around. These are blended in with vinegar and koji-aged yuzu, making for something that you’ve never tasted in your life: riotously bright, citrusy, floral, vegetal, mid-to-low-grade spicy, and very salty. Both are readily available online.
I normally put a little spatula of yuzu kosho to the side of a soba bowl, filled with whatever you like that goes in a soba bowl: microgreens, a poached egg, caramelized garlic & shallot, butter-fried shiitake, maybe even a sliced avocado or cherry tomatoes.
Then someone decided to come to brunch who is gluten-free, and soba went out the window. Rice noodles? Too obvious. Too sticky. I didn’t have anything vermicelli texture. Nam pla could go with it, but you need to get a special gluten-free variety, which I didn’t have. So obviously, the answer for pairing with a famous Japanese condiment ended up being (checks notes) a massive white bean from Europe, imported to California and bought on the internet. The only rules are the ones we make between each other, you know?
I made materially this but with about 10 swaps. No yuzu tea, water, ponzu, or sesame paste. No romaine, carrots, wonton crisps, or mandarin oranges. Swapped noodles for beans, obviously. Added more olive oil. Minced celery for crunch. It’s vegan & gluten-free. It turned out great. Works good with salmon on the side. Reheats great cold, too. You should try it.