Ai Hosokawa told me that oil fondue is a dish that brings back memories from childhood. At that time, there were probably very few households that had oil fondue on their dining table, and I don't think many people even knew its name. Oil fodule was so Western that Japanese people were not familiar with it.

Hosokawa said she doesn't know why her mother made oil fondue so often, but she recalled that at the time, she used common ingredients such as beef, onions, and green peppers with ketchup and mustard.

Do you remember that I previously introduced the ``fig vinegar'' of the hotel ``LOG'' in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture? It was here that Hosokawa, who has been developing and providing recipes for the LOG restaurant since its opening, encountered the cheese from Mirazaka Fromage. He says that he often uses it in LOG recipes because of its delicious taste. He says he wants people to fully enjoy the taste of this cheese, so he wants it to be eaten as is, fried, baked, or used in a variety of dishes.

A blissful taste born from the blessings of nature and careful handwork

Sanrasaka Fromage, located in Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, uses ``mountain dairy farming,'' in which livestock are naturally grazed in the mountains, and uses milk from cows and goats raised there, as well as milk purchased from dairy farms within the prefecture. making cheese.

The cheese was created through original research and development using traditional manufacturing methods learned in France and Italy.At the international cheese competition held in Tours, France in 2013, aged cow cheese ``Fromage de Mirasaka'' won the prize. Awarded silver in the geotrichum category. In addition, in 2015, the aged goat cheese ``Fromage de Mirasaka Chèvre'' won a gold medal in the chevre category, making it a cheese that has received acclaim around the world.

The taste and aroma of cheese changes slightly depending on the season. He says that the cheese is probably changing because they use milk from cows and goats that have eaten a lot of bamboo shoots in the spring and chestnuts in the fall.

The batter used in this recipe is a mustard lotus root batter, which is a specialty of Kumamoto. Hosokawa, who says he makes mustard lotus root at the end of the year, sometimes uses the leftover batter to make oil fondue. He told me that oil fondue is simple but looks great, and it's also very convenient because everyone can enjoy what they like.

(Titles omitted)

Cheese and vegetable oil fondue

your favorite cheese
your favorite vegetables
(This time we will use potatoes, taro, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, mushrooms, red peppers, peanuts, etc.)

clothes
0g water
15g potato starch or cornstarch
35g soft flour
baking powder 1g
turmeric 1g

Other
Deep frying oil (rice oil or Taihaku sesame oil)
coarse salt
Pepper (to taste)

If necessary, cut, steam, or peel the vegetables into pieces that are easy to skewer.
Mix the batter ingredients.
Pour oil into a tabletop pot and heat over medium heat.
Start by adding the vegetables that are slow to cook, then deep-fry.
Eat hot vegetables first with coarse salt, then with raw cheese.
Once you've finished eating the vegetables, cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces and thread them onto a bamboo skewer and coat them thoroughly.
Fry for a count of 20 until the batter turns red.
Remove the batter before it thickens and the cheese inside melts.
Once fried, sprinkle with coarse salt and ground pepper to taste.

This time's order

cheese
Mirasaka Fromage

scamorza affumicata
¥ 1,285 including tax
A matured cheese that is kneaded with hot water like mozzarella, then carefully rolled and torn into pieces one by one, hung on string, and then aged and smoked. It is characterized by having no taste and being easy to eat. When eaten grilled, you can enjoy the smoked aroma and texture.

Fromage de Mirasaka Chevre (Spring-Autumn only)
¥ 1,296 including tax
White mold type aged cheese made from 100% naturally pastured goat milk. At the beginning of ripening, it has a sour taste and is light, but as it matures, it becomes richer in flavor.

Chevre Frais (spring-autumn only)
¥ 756 including tax
Fresh cheese made from 100% naturally pastured goat milk. It has a sour and light taste.

Mozzarella
¥ 583 including tax
Fresh mozzarella made using Sanrasaka Fromage's brown Swiss milk and freshly squeezed raw milk from northern Hiroshima Prefecture.

Cormorant fishing in Miyoshi (spring-autumn only)
¥ 1,944 including tax
A white mold-type aged cheese made from 100% naturally pastured goat milk, sprinkled with charcoal and further aged.

Address: 1617-1 Nika, Mirasaka-cho, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
How to purchase: Can be purchased from the online shop.