Kobumaki

Kobumaki is a Japanese kelp roll, which is one of Japanese New Year's food. The fillings in kobumaki can be gobo burdock if you would like.


Ingredients:
•1 1/2 oz. dried kombu (kelp) (8 five-inch-long dried kombu)
•3/4 lb. salmon
•8 strips (10 inch long/strip) dried kanpyo
•4 cups water
•1/2 cup soysauce
•4 Tbsp. sugar
•2 Tbsp. sake
•4 Tbsps. mirin

Preparation:
Soak konbu in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Save this water. Rub a pinch of salt on kanpyo and wash them. Soak kanpyo in water for 15 minutes. Cut salmon into about 5 inch long strips. Put a salmon strip on top of a sheet of konbu and roll it. Tie the konbu roll by strips of kanpyo. Place kombu rolls in medium pot. Pour the water used for soaking the kombu over the kombu rolls. Bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, and add sugar, sake, mirin, and soysauce. Simmer for about one hour. Turn off the heat. Let kelp rolls cool in the pot. Remove them from the pot and cut in halves.