Recipe: Miso Squid from the JBF Award–Nominated "Preserving the Japanese Way" Cookbook

No one can deny the popularity of salted, pickled, and fermented foods. Nearly every menu we come across at the Beard House features some form of preserved item—from pickled cranberries to salt herring to preserved Meyer lemon, there’s no doubt that preserved foods are de rigueur​ right now. But this palate-expanding trend has long been an essential method to extend the harvest in kitchens around the globe. In her latest cookbook, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen, Nancy Singleton Hachisu documents Japan's centuries-old techniques that conserve and preserve foods. Featuring Hachisu’s artful yet approachable (even for Westerners!) style, the tome offers an immersive experience and delectable recipes, such as her ika no misozuke, or miso and sake–marinated squid, which becomes charred and caramelized during its time on the grill. Hachisu likes to serve this simple and satisfying dish as a pre-dinner snack, and any leftovers are perfect enjoyed cold the following day. Get the recipe.

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Learn more about the 2016 James Beard Awards.

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Hilary Deutsch is editorial assistant at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram.