Grilled Tomatoes with Red Yuzu Kosho and Sansho

Ok, so you were intrigued with my Grilled Scallops with Red Yuzu Kosho Vinaigrette, had to make them, acquired both red and green yuzu kosho and made the recipe. Yea! But now you have the rest of the jar of that red stuff and are wondering what to do with it. Well, here is another fantastic dish using red yuzu kosho that will absolutely delight your tastebuds.

I was really happy to find big ripe beefsteak tomatoes at my local farmers market and rushed home to begin cooking. Between you and me, I had not received my sansho pepper in the mail yet, so did not use it. But when it came, I did that ‘try a little on the tongue’ thing and wow! Sansho sparkled and twinkled on my tongue for at least 15 minutes. It has a citrus note that is really interesting. When I make this recipe again, and I will for sure, I’m definitely going to include it.

Update  7/14/13: I made this recipe again with the sancho. OMG. Amazing! I also used part of the marinade on some chicken wings and halved fresh figs, both of which I also grilled. I had a big plate of tomatoes, chicken and figs, all with charred grill marks, sopping with the juice of the tomatoes and the zing of the sansho, with the clear herbal notes of the cilantro. I am so happy!

I adapted this recipe from Saveur issue Number 157. The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon kosher salt, but I didn’t add it. The yuzu kosho is salty so I didn’t feel more salt was in order.

Sansho is not actually a pepper, but comes from the Prickly Ash tree or Japanese Pepper tree, which belongs to the tangerine family. It is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper, but has lemony overtones and creates a tingly tongue-numbing sensation. Sichuan pepper also comes from the Prickly Ash; however, Sichuan is made from the berries and husks. Sansho is the dried and powdered husks only. If you cannot find Sansho at a local market, you can order it from Amazon here.

Yuzu is a citrus fruit which originated in China and is now used mainly in Japanese and Korean cuisine. It looks like a small grapefruit and can be yellow or green depending on its ripeness. Its flavor is tart, closely resembling grapefruit with overtones of mandarin orange. It is rarely eaten as a fruit; the zest and juice are used mainly as seasoning. Yuzu kosho is a combination of yuzu zest, hot red or green pepper and salt. If you cannot find red and green yuzu kosho at a local market, you can order it from Amazon here.

The halved tomatoes are marinated in a combination of olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, red yuzu kosho and sansho pepper. The cut sides of the tomatoes are grilled until slightly charred.

When charred to perfection, the tomatoes are turned and reserved marinade spooned over. After being further caramelized, they are splendidly served with chopped parsley or cilantro sprinkled on top. I would serve these as a starter or as a side. Or eat all of them myself for lunch. Who would know. But that’s just me.

 Print Recipe

Grilled Tomatoes with Red Yuzu Kosho and Sansho

Serves 4

¼ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red yuzu kosho
1 teaspoon sansho pepper
4 medium to large tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise
1 cup roughly chopped parsley or cilantro leaves

1. In a small bowl, whisk together thoroughly oil, garlic, soy sauce, red yuzu kosho and sansho peppr..

2. Transfer sauce to 9×13-inch dish and add tomatoes. Turn to coat and finish cut side down. Marinate at room temperature while readying grill.

3. Heat charcoal or gas grill to high. Place tomatoes cut side down on grill, reserving marinade.

4. Grill until slightly charred, 2-4 minutes. Flip tomatoes over and spoon reserved marinade over tops. Continue to grill without further flipping, until slightly caramelized, about an additional 6 minutes.

5. Serve garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro.