nasu agebitashi (aubergine in dashi)
- 2 small aubergines
- Salt
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying
- 250 g water
- 3 g kombu
- 6 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
- Salt, soy sauce and mirin, to taste
Late Summer Vegetables with Fennel Blanquette and Nasu Agebitashi
Markus Stöckle
9th October 2026
Late Summer Vegetables with Fennel Blanquette and Nasu Agebitashi
105 min
Late Summer Vegetables (or “Hof Gemüse Gang”) is a vegetable dish dedicated to a single farm, Hof Blum, in Samstagern, Zurich. It celebrates the season of summer, served with a fennel blanquette and gemüsebaum (Chinese Vegetable Tree) leaves. We have deep-fried aubergines steeped in savoury dashi (Nasu Agebitashi), briefly blanched green tomatoes marinated in olive oil, and, to finish, aromatic coriander and fennel flowers. With amaranth tips, the dish captures the fresh, vibrant flavours of local late-summer produce.
Ingredients
green tomatoes
- 2 green tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt
poached onions
- 4 small onions (about 1¼ inch across)
- 10 g butter
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 thyme sprigs
- A pinch of salt
fennel blanquette
- 10 g butter
- 50 g onions
- 100 g fennel
- 100 g Noilly Prat
- 65 g white wine
- 2 g crushed black pepper
- 1 cardamom pod, crushed
- 200 g crème fraîche
- Salt
to serve
- Coriander flowers
- Coriander tips
- Fennel flowers
- Amaranth tips
Method
nasu agebitashi (aubergine in dashi)
Peel the aubergines, cut each into sixths and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 20 minutes to draw out the water.
For the dashi, steep the kombu in the water for 1 hour at 60°C. Add the katsuobushi, turn off the heat and steep for a further 30 minutes. Strain, season with salt, soy sauce and mirin, then let cool.
Pat the aubergines dry. Deep-fry at 180°C for 2 minutes, until light golden.
Transfer the aubergines straight from the hot oil into the dashi. Let cool in the dashi and keep them there until serving.
green tomatoes
Blanch the tomatoes briefly and cut into thick slices.
Marinate with olive oil and salt.
poached onions
Halve the onions and seal them in a vacuum bag (or a sous-vide bag) with the butter, garlic, thyme and salt.
Poach in the microwave for 2–3 minutes. Separate into layers.
fennel blanquette
Melt the butter until foaming.
Sweat the onions and fennel until translucent.
Add the Noilly Prat and white wine and reduce by half.
Strain, discarding the solids.
Add the pepper, cardamom and crème fraîche, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Season with salt.
to serve
Spoon the warm blanquette into shallow bowls.
Arrange the aubergine, tomato slices and onion layers on top.
Garnish with coriander flowers, coriander tips, fennel flowers and amaranth tips.
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