Japanese Chicken Sesame Salad Recipe (Banbanji)

Banbanji (バンバンジー) is a cold chicken dish with fresh vegetables and a sesame dressing. It's especially enjoyed in the summer. If you can find sesame dressing at your Asian grocer, you can use that. If not, this banbanji recipe shows you how to make your own from scratch. Enjoy this light and healthy dish.

Serves 2-4    243 cal./serving

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (9 oz./250g)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 pack (9 oz./250g) bean sprouts
• 2 cucumbers
• 3/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved or 3 tomatoes, sliced
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. mirin( or 3 Tbsp. sake + 1 Tbsp. sugar)
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a small pan of lightly salted water and boil about 10 minutes. Allow to cool in the water. Remove chicken and save the stock. When cool, tear chicken into long thin strips by hand.
2. In a separate pan, blanch bean sprouts, then immediately rinse in cold water.
3. Cut cucumber long, thin matchstick like strips.
4. Make sauce by grinding sesame seeds in a grinding bowl, mortar, or food processor. Add soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar,. Then mix in some of the chicken stock, little by little, stirring until mixture is smooth.
5. Arrange cut tomatoes, bean sprouts, cucumbers, and chicken on a plate. Pour on sesame sauce and serve.

Japanese Chicken and Egg on Rice(Oyako Donburi)

Oyakodon(親子丼) is a very popular Japanese "donburi" dish served on top of rice. Oyako literally means "parent-child", chicken and egg. It's lightly cooked in a broth and the consistency is much softer than an omelet, almost runny. A truly delectable Japanese dish.



Serves 4     433 cal./serving


Ingredients:

• 4 portions cooked short grain rice
• 1/2 lb.(225g) boneless chicken
• 1 onion
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups dashi bonito stock
• 3 Tbsp. mirin(or 3 Tbsp. sake + 1 Tbsp. sugar)
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• watercress leaves, nori seaweed or other greens(optional)

Directions:

1. Cook rice.
2. Trim of excess fat from chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.
3. Cut onion in half and slice thinly.
4. In a shallow pan, combine dashi stock, mirin, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add chicken and bring to a boil again over high heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes until onion is tender and chicken is cooked.
5. Beat 4 eggs and pour them in gently in a circular motion to cover all the chicken. Cover the pan and cook 1-2 minutes over low heat. When eggs are just set, but still runny, turn off heat and let pan sit, covered, a minute or so. 
6. Divide rice among 4 deep bowls and spread chicken and egg over the top of each and serve with shredded nori or other greens, if desired.

Savory Dinner Egg Custard (Chawan-Mushi) Recipe

Chawan-mushi(茶碗蒸し) is a savory dinner custard that has a delicate and rich taste. Served hot or cold, this is a favorite side dish in Japanese cuisine, especially when part of a course meal, but it can be enjoyed anytime. The main ingredients here are chicken, shrimp, and shitake mushrooms, but other common ingredients include ham, bamboo shoots, and kamaboko, a kind of fish paste cake.

It s traditionally served in a chawan, a special ceramic cup especially for this dish with a small lid, however, any heat resistant cup or mug is fine. There are 2 cooking options below, traditional steaming or using an oven.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 4 oz.(115g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 8 small raw shrimp(prawns)
• 2 leaves spinach or 4 snow peas
• 4 dried shitake mushrooms
• 1tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sake
• salt and sake for shrimp

Seasoning

• 2 cups dashi stock(bonito is best)
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. mirin
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

(Preparation)

1. Soak dried shitake mushrooms in water for about an hour until soft. Dried shitake float, so you can keep them under the water with a pan lid or dish. Drain mushrooms, cut off and discard stems and cut a decorative "X" on top of each mushroom.
2. Combine seasoning ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Remove any fat from chicken breast and cut into 8 small pieces. Mix sake and soy sauce and sprinkle over chicken.
4. Shell and de-vein shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and sake.
5. Blanch spinach in boiling water and cut into 2 inch(5cm) pieces. For snow peas, after blanching, cut in half.
6. Beat eggs lightly, trying not to make it frothy. Mix in cooled seasoning broth and strain through a cheesecloth.

(Cooking)

1. Divide the mixture between 4 chawan cups if you have them, or other heat resistant cups or mugs. Add chicken , shrimp, and vegetables. Place a mushroom cap on top. The cups should b about 7/10 full.
2. Stove top method-Place cups in a steamer or pan with water. Cups should be covered. Chawan cups have a ceramic lid, otherwise cover with a towel or aluminum foil, poke a hole in the foil. Cover pan and steam for 2 minutes on high heat, then reduce heat to low and steam for another 15 minutes. A toothpick will come out clean when done.
3. Oven method-Preheat oven to 400°F(205ºC). Cover cups with foil and make a hole. Place cups in a deep pan with boiling water. The water should be to a level of about 1/3 the height of the cups. Cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 360°F(180ºC) and cook for another 15 minutes. 
4. Ideally, shrimp and another ingredient will be peeping out from the top. Serve hot or chilled.