Kintsuba (きんつば, griddled azuki cakes)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small square pan, about 18cm, lined with parchment
• •Flat griddle or nonstick frying pan
• •Offset spatula or thin turner
• •Damp cloth for wiping the knife and pan

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the azuki

   Rinse the azuki and put them in a pot with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, then drain. This first boil, called shibukiri, removes some harshness from the skins, so the finished anko tastes clean rather than muddy.

2. 2

   Simmer until tender

   Return the beans to the pot with fresh water to cover by 4cm. Simmer gently, adding water as needed to keep them covered, until a bean crushes easily between finger and thumb, about 50 to 70 minutes. Don't rush with a hard boil. Split skins leak starch and make the paste heavy before the centers are tender.

3. 3

   Sweeten the paste

   Drain the beans well, then return them to the pot with the sugar and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and pressing some beans against the side, until glossy and thick, 12 to 18 minutes. Sugar tightens the skins if added too early, so it goes in only after the beans are tender.

4. 4

   Set the anko

   Stir the kanten into 800ml water in a small pan, bring it to a full boil, and simmer 2 minutes so it dissolves completely. Stir only 120ml of this hot kanten liquid into the thick anko, just enough to help it set firm. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste holds a clear path across the bottom of the pot.

   Kanten must boil to set properly. Too much liquid makes a jelly sweet, not kintsuba, so use only what the anko needs to cut cleanly.
5. 5

   Chill and cut

   Line a small square pan, about 18cm, with parchment. Spread the anko 2cm thick, smooth the top, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. Cut into 12 neat squares or rectangles with a damp knife. Clean cuts matter because the batter is thin and will show every torn edge.

6. 6

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the flour, crushed shiratamako if using, sugar, and water into a thin, smooth batter the texture of light cream. Let it rest 10 minutes so the flour hydrates. A rested batter clings in a thinner coat, which is what you want here: skin, not bread.

7. 7

   Cook each face

   Warm a griddle or nonstick pan over low heat and wipe it with the thinnest film of oil. Dip one face of an anko square into the batter and set that face on the pan until it turns pale, dry, and matte, about 45 seconds. Repeat with the remaining five faces. Low heat keeps the coating tender and pale; high heat browns it before the batter has time to set.

8. 8

   Cool before serving

   Set the finished kintsuba on a rack and let them cool to room temperature. The coating firms as it cools, and the anko settles back into a clean block. Serve one or two pieces with tea, leaving space on the plate so the plain square can look as deliberate as it tastes.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh dried azuki from a shop with steady turnover. Old beans can cook for a very long time and still keep a chalky heart, and no amount of sugar will make that graceful.
• •If you already have firm tsubuan, coarse sweet azuki paste, use it. Warm 450g of it, stir in a small amount of boiled kanten liquid, and set it in the pan. A good purchased anko is a sensible stand-in, not a failure of character.
• •Keep the griddle low and patient. The proper surface is pale and matte, not browned like a pancake. Kintsuba should taste first of azuki, then quietly of wheat.
• •Wipe the knife between cuts and dampen it lightly. The square edge is part of the pleasure, and a ragged block makes the thin coating work too hard.

Advance Preparation

• •The anko block can be made and chilled one day ahead. Cover it closely so the surface doesn't dry before cutting.
• •Finished kintsuba keep one day at cool room temperature, loosely covered. For longer storage, refrigerate up to three days and bring back to room temperature before serving.
• •The batter is best mixed shortly before griddling. If it thickens as it sits, loosen it with a few drops of water.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)