15 Citrusy Yuzu Recipes to Try This Summer
Incorporate the floral, tart citrus into any course of a meal from starter to dessert and drinks.
Hugh Davison
Yuzu is a tangy citrus fruit most often grown in Asia and commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In the U.S., you can find fresh yuzu in California as early as late September through February at farmers markets or in Asian and specialty food stores. Yuzu is available year-round sold as a juice or the pepper paste called yuzu kosho, a fermented condiment that brings distinct flavor and spice to anything from butter to salad dressing, mayo, and pesto in the recipes below.
While yuzu is often compared to elements of every other citrus fruit — sour like lemons, sweet like oranges, bitter like grapefruit, tart like lime — its specialty status is all about intensity. Ayako Yuki, the Japanese founder of House of Umami, says the "bold aromatic flavor of the peels" enhances dishes like raw or grilled fish in Japan and even pasta. Yuki sources ingredients for chefs and says every household in Japan has a yuzu kosho, which can be used on any dish.
Here's how to use yuzu to infuse the citrus flavor and aroma into anything from cake to cocktails and caviar.
Kabocha Squash Fritters with Yuzu-Garlic Dipping Sauce
Recipe developer Anna Theoktisto blends bright yuzu juice, fresh garlic, and silky Kewpie mayo for the dipping sauce to accompany these crispy two-bite appetizers.
Trout Tartare With Fennel Remoulade, Tobiko
Chicago chef Larry Feldmeier tops buttery soft fresh trout with a mayonnaise dressing infused with yuzu juice and yuzu tobiko, a caviar infused with the citrus. The beautifully plated entrée brings bold flavors and intriguing textures.
Yuzu and Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Hugh Davison
Kat Turner infuses this cake batter with yuzu juice and the frosting with lemon zest for this citrusy dessert topped with candied kumquats.
Yuzu Kosho–Honey Butter
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Chef Joe Kindred makes this sweet and spicy dip with yuzu kosho, the Japanese condiment comprising fermented fresh chilis and fresh yuzu juice. It's irresistible with hush puppies, sashimi, steak, and grilled chicken.
Namasu
Pickle delicately sliced vegetables with rice vinegar for namasu, a ritual from a Japanese monastery. Shinobu Namae lightens this version with floral, sweet, acidic yuzu juice.
Japanese-Style Chili Burgers with Yuzu Mayo
Charles Namba stirs together Kewpie mayonnaise, ketchup, and yuzu juice for this mayo you can refrigerate until using on any burger, but it especially balances this one.
Chilled Soba Noodle Salad with Yuzu Dressing
Lucas Sin punctuates this chilled noodle bowl with yuzu's lively fruit flavors by using yuzu honey concentrate, yuzu kosho, and ponzu in the versatile dressing.
Yuzu Amaro Spritz
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
A bit of yuzu adds a floral quality that's paired with herbaceous amaro, rosemary, and honey in this citrus-forward summery spritz from Alan Wither from New York restaurant Principe.
Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Mignonette
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Karin Olsen
Justin Chapple pairs citrusy and slightly spicy yuzu kosho with briny oysters on the half shell for this 20-minute chilled appetizer.
Yuzu Ponzu
Eric Wolfinger incorporates tart and fragrant fresh yuzu juice in this ponzu sauce made with umami-rich soy sauce, and sweet sake and mirin, then steeped in kombu and katsuobushi for even more depth. Use it as a marinade or dipping sauce.
Cauliflower Okonomiyaki
Greg Baxtrom makes a simple yuzu kosho mayo to drizzle over this fun, savory pancake, a Japanese tradition often prepared tableside.
Yuzu Shandy
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
F&W's Lucy Simon shares a fresh take on the popular beer cocktail using tart and floral Japanese yuzu juice and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a more complex medley of citrusy notes than the standard lemonade or lemon-lime soda.
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto
Chef Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica in Los Angeles turns the hot, spicy and aromatic Japanese condiment into a super-simple and utterly delicious pesto for summer seafood with ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, and olive oil.
Salmon with Pea-Wasabi Puree and Yuzu
Iconic chef Eric Ripert drizzles a yuzu emulsion over his salmon trifecta, featuring salmon poached, smoked, and in the form of roe.
Sparkling Yuzu Gimlets
Top Chef season 12 winner Mei Lin brightens this big-batch gimlet with yuzu juice for summer entertaining.
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