Ingen no umeni / green beans simmered with pickled plum

A simple green bean dish with a fruity note. The soft acidity of umeboshi pickled plum makes this a delightful dish for warm or hot days. Niboshi dashi made of dried young sardines gives a punch to the underlying taste.

<Ingredients>

10-12 ingen green beans (85g in photo)
1 umeboshi pickled plum
150 cc niboshi dashi, or 200cc water and 1 large or 2 medium/small niboshi young dried sardines


<Directions>
1.

Prepare niboshi dashi, if not ready. Toast niboshi (heads and bellies removed) in a pot until aromatic, add water, and simmer on medium low heat for 10+ minutes.

Remove niboshi.

2.

Meanwhile, cut green beans in 2 or 3.
Finely chop umeboshi flesh (save seed for another use).

3.

When niboshi dashi is ready, add green beans, and simmer on medium heat until relatively tender, 1-2 minutes.

Remove any foam that appears on surface.

4.

Add umeboshi, and continue simmering until liquid is reduced to half or less.

<Notes>

• The saltiness and sourness of umeboshi differ significantly by brand. If unsure, first try with half of umeboshi flesh. The umeboshi I used above has 11% sodium content. The sodium content of commonly available umeboshi varies between less than 10% to as high as 20%. 

• Niboshi can be left in broth to the end, which is probably more in keeping with country-style cooking. I remove niboshi from dashi to prevent a strong fish taste and smell in the final dish, and because my peanut gallery is waiting patiently for a treat.