Random recipe:
Chocolate Yokan
200g adzuki
200g chopped chocolate (or chips/pistoles. 75% dark chocolate is recommended, but adjust to taste.)
85g almond milk (or cream of your choice if not lactose intolerant, above 36% dairy fat content is the most luxurious)
175g granulated sugar (reserve another 50g to adjust to taste)
100g water
1-2tsp vanilla extract
3tbsp strong brew coffee
5-7g agar powder
Flaky sea salt to garnish
1. Cover beans with water and bring to boil. Drain and return beans to pot. Add 600g water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Uncover, place a cartouche over the beans and let cook for 60-90mins or until beans are completely soft.
2. Drain and blend beans into a paste in a food processor. Add beans to a pan.
3. Add sugar and mix well. Reduce the paste until nappes the bottom of the pan. You can emulsify butter to taste.
4. Remove the paste from the pan.
5. Heat the milk and add vanilla extract and coffee. Pour over chocolate in a metal bowl. Stir until consistent in texture.
6. Mix well with bean paste.
7. Heat water and agar powder together in a pot until a roiling boil.
8. Incorporate the other ingredients and adjust sugar level.
9. Pour into a square or rectangular cake pan (or if you're a bougie with a nagashikan feel free to use that). Shake to remove bubbles. Let cool at room temp or refrigerate for 1-2hrs until set.
10. Remove from mold. To do this without damaging the yokan, run an icing spatula or knife around the edges of the mold, flip and whack a few times. If this fails to work, torch the bottom with a blowtorch. Or if you're a filthy pleb like myself, heat up a pan (cast iron is best as it holds heat very well,) and place on top of the flipped over mold. This will melt a very thin layer of the agar mixture and chocolate and let the yokan release.
11. Slice up into rectangular prisms or cubes. Plate, sprinkle with sea salt and serve.
No photo sry, it's too late in the evening.