- It relies on the contrast of the 黒蜜 and the salty 赤えんどう on the backdrop of the unsweetened, unflavoured 寒天 jelly.
- To make あんずみつ豆, you add an apricot.
- “Normal” あんみつ then adds a whole lot of things, such as あん, more fruits, 求肥.
- You'd think it's a great summer sweet, but in it's almost austere reduction I find it very suitable for late September when you still have some heat, but you're also ready to lean into October's 詫び spirit.
Recipe
- 25 gr 天草, washed and squeezed
- 1000 gr water
- 1 tsp vinegar
Mix 天草 and water, bring to a boil. Add vinegar, cover (I forgot this last time) and simmer for 30'. Squeeze through a cloth, gathering the liquid. I had some 600 ml left last time and it was a tad too firm for my taste, so I'd aim for about 700 ml. Fridge to set.
- 50 gr あんずみつ豆
- 300 gr water, ¼ tsp baking soda, 10 gr salt.
Wash peas, then soak in above liquid overnight. In the same liquid, then, bring to a boil and simmer for 5'. Strain, then soak in 400 gr water and 12 gr salt for 15'. (The original recipe omits the 10 gr salt in the overnight soaking, but I found mine only subtly salty, so I'm adding it here). The steam in a cloth on high for 50'.
For the syrup:
- 120 gr 黒蜜
- 30 gr 水飴
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
For the fruit: I used a dried apricot reconstituted in 4 T sugar and 4 T water. Next time, however, I'd probably poach a real apricot in wine and sugar until it really falls apart. The dried fruit, however, added a nice 名残 touch, so it's not that bad (maybe adding a splash of apricot brandy to give it more oomph next time).