1 lb Fresh lotus root
1/2 ts Grated fresh ginger
4 ts Sugar
1 1/2 tb Soy sauce
2 tb White vinegar
1/2 tb Asian sesame oil
1 tb Chopped fresh coriander
Toasted black or white
-sesame seeds for garnish
If you haven't tried fresh lotus roots do yourselves a favor and pick
up some from an Oriental market. They look like nothing so much as
strings of vegetable sausages a few inches long and about three
inches in diameter. The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of a water
chestnut as is the texture++very fresh, crisp and good. When sliced,
they have an intriguing, lacy cross section that comes from air
channels in the root. Lotus root is also available canned and it's
not bad++not as good as fresh, but quite acceptable. They can better
than water chestnuts and retain more of the characteristics of the
fresh root than do water chestnuts. Lotus roots make a nice addition
to soups too.
BTW, it's considered bad form by Asian grocers to break up the hands
of roots. They're not that expensive and you'll probably use all you
buy anyway.
Rinse lotus roots with cold water. Trim and discard both ends of the
bulb. With a vegetable peeler, pool the skin. Diagonally cut thee
root into 1/8 inch thick slices; immediately plunge slices into
acidulated water. Drain.
Put lotus roots into a heat-proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water to
cover; let sit for 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Pat
dry. refrigerate until chilled.
For the dressing; in bowl, combine thoroughly the ginger, sugar soy
sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and coriander. Put lotus root slices into
a shallow bowl; pour dressing over lotus roots. Arrange on
individual salad plates, garnish with sesame seeds. Serve chilled.
