Few flavors are as enduring to my taste buds as a shiso leaf. Its flavor is somewhere between mint, cilantro and basil, but with a strong piney quality. Shiso duets beautifully with sweet, salty and sour flavors; highlights include crunchy tempura, slimy natto and chewy mochi.
You won’t run out of flavors or textures to pair with shiso.
A shiso-infused pickled mountain potato (yamaimo), a vegetable I previously scorned, changed my mind about crispy goo. Similarly, the addition of shiso to ume in a stuffed onigiri rice ball mellowed the ume’s saltiness. The first bowl of natto I enjoyed had strips of shiso folded into the sticky web. Now I can’t do without it.
For all the uses of shiso, I’ve had a hard time finding it anywhere but in Japanese grocery stores. My mom always kept a bundle in our fridge, as my dad drinks an Okinawan remedy for hay fever that calls for shiso-steeped vinegar. I was so accustomed to having easy access to the leaves that I assumed they grew out of the vegetable drawer.
Since shiso doesn’t last long, and getting out to town for just a few leaves is sometimes too much to ask, it’s been a precious commodity in my household. Thankfully, my green-thumbed husband planted some seeds this spring, and suddenly I’m blessed with the trouble of using it up.
That led me to make chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is an aggressively flavored accompaniment to any type of steak and other foods. I enjoyed it with bison, but it’s equally complementary with cauliflower. I plan to use it as a marinade with my next batch of grilled chicken as well.
The freshness of the shiso leaf stands up nicely to the bold flavors of summer barbecue fare.
SHISO CHIMICHURRI
16 to 20 shiso leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Place shiso leaves and garlic in food processor and process with 1-second pulses until chopped very fine, about 10 pulses. Alternatively, you can mince with a very sharp knife. Stop before it becomes purée.
Whisk olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes until emulsified. Add shiso leaves and whisk again.
Serve with meat or vegetable steaks. This can be made ahead, although the shiso flavor lessens with time, and the red pepper flavor intensifies. Serves 2 to 3.
Nutritional information unavailable.
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Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at www.thelittlefoodie.com.
