Kaiseki — Hassun Course (The Seasonal Platter — Composition Rules) — Cook

Ingredients

Note: The Hassun course comprises 8–10 small seasonal items, typically: 2 items from mountains (sansai), 2 from sea (kaisou/kaibotsu), 2 pickled or fermented (tsukemono), 1–2 fresh items (nama-mono), 1 grilled or boiled item (yakimono/nimono).
Examples for spring assembly
60g grilled matsutake mushroom, with light glaze
80g simmered bamboo shoot (takenoko), with dashi and mirin
40g pickled Japanese horseradish (wasabi-zuke)
50g sashimi-grade tuna (maguro), thin slice
40g uni (sea urchin) on nori
30g takuan (pickled daikon radish), sliced thin
20g miso-marinated herring roe (kazunoko)
40g grilled freshwater eel (unagi), brushed with tare
Asian pear or bamboo leaves, for platter bed
Salt, citrus, and soy reduction, for finishing

Method

1
Arrange a base of bamboo leaves or fresh pear slices on a rectangular ceramic or wooden Hassun platter (approx. 20cm × 20cm).
2
Grill matsutake mushroom slices over charcoal or high heat for 1 minute per side; brush with a glaze of equal parts dashi, mirin, and soy sauce; season lightly with salt.
3
Simmer diced bamboo shoot in a light dashi broth (3:1 ratio) with 1 tsp mirin for 5 minutes; cool and arrange on platter.
4
Slice sashimi-grade tuna thinly (2–3mm) and arrange in a small pile; place uni on a nori rectangle alongside.
5
Arrange takuan pickles and kazunoko (herring roe in miso) in separate sections, maintaining visual balance and colour contrast.
6
Grill unagi (freshwater eel) over charcoal for 1 minute per side; brush with tare glaze (equal parts soy sauce, mirin, sake, and water, reduced); cut into 5cm lengths.
7
Arrange all components on the platter following the seasonal principle: items should represent the current season and be positioned according to the five colours (red, white, yellow, black, green) for visual harmony.
8
Serve at room temperature with small ceramic dishes of salt and citrus (sudachi or yuzu) on the side for individual seasoning.