Pounded Burdock Root with Sesame Sauce (Tataki Gobo)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

In a frying pan (do not add oil), toast sesame seeds (2 Tbsp) until they are fragrant and starting to pop. Keep some distance from the heat and shake the pan to toast.

Step 3

Transfer to a mortar (suribachi). Using a pestle (surikogi), grind the sesame seeds until 80% of the sesame seeds are ground (to keep the texture of sesame seeds).

Step 4

Add soy sauce (1 Tbsp), mirin (1 Tbsp), and rice vinegar (1 tsp) to the sesame seeds.

Step 5

Peel gobo skin with the back of a knife. Don’t use a vegetable peeler to peel gobo’s skin because the earthy delicious flavor is just right below the skin and you don’t want to peel it off.

Step 6

Cut the gobo into 5 inches (12 cm), and then cut each piece in half. If it’s a very thick piece, you can cut that piece in half again.

Step 7

Add 1 tsp rice vinegar (1 tsp) in the water (4 cups, 960ml). Soak gobo in vinegar water for 3 minutes so the gobo retains its color. Drain and set aside.

Step 8

Add gobo in the saucepan filled with water (4 cups, 960 ml). Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook for 13-15 minutes, or until the gobo is tender but firm. Drain gobo and transfer to the cutting board.

Step 9

Pound gobo with the pestle (surikogi or a rolling pin from end to end until the fibers are smashed. This allows the sauce to go through the fibers of the gobo. Then cut them in half (2.5 inches/6 cm pieces).

Step 10

While gobo is still hot, transfer into the sesame sauce and coat well. Gobo can absorb the flavors when they are hot.

Step 11

Serve immediately at room temperature or serve chilled. You can put Tataki Gobo in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.