KitchenNippon

＜Ingredients＞ 5 Servings
Fukinotō Tempura
Fukinotō (ふきのとう / Fukinotō) (Smallish size) 5
(Fuki-no-tō is the flower bud of the fuki or butterbur plant [Petasites japonicus])
Soft flour (薄力粉 / Hakurikiko) 1tbsp
Water (水 / Mizu) 1 1/2tbsp

Wakame and Spring Potato Kaki-age
Salted wakame (塩蔵わかめ / Enzō wakame) 20g
Spring potato (新じゃが芋 / Shin jagaimo) 1/2 （80g）
Chikuwa (ちくわ / Chikuwa) 1/2
Soft flour (薄力粉 / Hakurikiko) 1tbsp
Water (水 / Mizu)1 1/2tbsp

Oil for frying (揚げ油 / Age abura) About 600ml
Salt (塩/ Shio) To taste

【How to Make】
① Gently open the petals of the fukinotō buds, sprinkle on the flour, and place the buds in a bowl. Add the water and wet the buds evenly.
② Rinse the salted wakame to remove the excess salt. Squeeze out as much water as you can and then cut the wakame into 1cm lengths. Cut the potato into 2cm cubes with the skin on. Rinse the cubes in water and then arrange them evenly on a heat-resistant plate. Loosely cover the plate with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Next, remove the plate from the oven, remove the plastic wrap and let the potato cubes cool. Cut the chikuwa into 5mm-thick rings.

Combine the wakame, potatoes, and chikuwa rings in a bowl, sprinkle on the flour, add the water, and mix.

③ Heat the oil to 175〜180℃. Use a wooden spatula to pick up a bit of the mixture and then gently slide it into the oil. When both sides are lightly browned remove the kaki-age to a paper towel, or a metal rack on a tray, to drain off the excess oil.

For the fukinotō buds, open the petals, and then place each bud into the oil with the petals facing down. Once each bud hardens with the petals open, turn it over, let it brown lightly and then transfer to a paper towel or metal rack.

④ Arrange on a plate and serve with salt.

Recipe Developed by: Machiko Tateno