Gobo Salad (Japanese Burdock Root Salad)
Crunchy Burdock with Toasted Sesame Dressing
Beloved in Japan, burdock is a long, slender root vegetable that resembles a stick. Beneath the bark-like skin, burdock’s flesh is crisp, earthy, sweet, and mineral-like. If you can’t find burdock, try this recipe with raw beets, jicama, or daikon radish grated or cut into small, thin sticks.
Sautéed Burdock
Peel burdock as you would a carrot. Place peeled burdock roots in bowl of water with 1 Tbs cider vinegar to prevent discoloring. Slice the root into matchstick pieces, along with equal amount matchstick carrot. Sauté the burdock root and carrot in a heavy frying pan or wok. Add a small amount of Tamari or soy sauce. Cook until tender.
Ingredients
3 ribs celery, sliced (1 cup)
5 medium burdock roots, peeled and cut into 2-inch sticks
3 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbs. raw sugar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1⁄2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
Bring large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add burdock, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and cool. Transfer to medium bowl, and add celery.
Grind sesame seeds and sugar together in coffee grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground. Transfer mixture to small bowl and stir in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili-garlic sauce.
Add dressing to burdock mixture, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
INGREDIENTS
1 gobo (burdock root) (14” = 36 cm = 150 g)
1.5 inch carrot (1” diameter, 50 g)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (roasted)
1 ½ tsp sugar
3 Tbsp white sesame seeds (roasted/toasted)
3-4 Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (or avo mayo)
Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Seven Spice)
INSTRUCTIONS
Gather all the ingredients.
Wash gobo to get rid of dirt. Use the back of your knife to remove the skin. Cut into thin slices diagonally (1/8” thickness).
Cut into thin sticks (1/8” thickness) and soak gobo in water to minimize oxidation and to remove the bitterness.
Cut the carrot into the sticks about the same size as gobo.
Bring 2 cups of water to boil and cook the carrot for 1 minute. Scoop up the carrot using a sieve or slotted spoon.
Then add the drained gobo into the pot and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain completely (I use a salad spinner) and transfer to a large bowl.
While gobo is hot, add 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil.
Add 1 ½ tsp sugar, and mix all together. This helps gobo absorb flavors from seasonings. Let them cool before adding mayonnaise.
Grind 3 Tbsp sesame seeds with mortar and pestle.
Add the carrot, 3-4 Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise and ground sesame seeds. If you like it spicy, sprinkle Shichimi Togarashi on top.
To store, keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
