RENKON TSUKUNE

Ingredients

• Lotus root

  Raw

  250g

• Cornstarch

  3 tbsp or 23g

• Chicken thigh

  Broilers or fryers, meat only, raw

  350g

• Shallots

  Raw

  2 shallot (medium) or 85g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 tsp or 2g

• Ginger

  Spices, ground

  2 tsp or 4g

• Egg

  Whole, fresh eggs

  1 medium or 44g

• Bread crumbs

  Dry, grated, seasoned

  2 tbsp or 15g

• Chives

  Raw

  4 tbsp chopped or 12g

• Sesame seeds

  Seeds, whole, dried

  2 tbsp or 18g

• Vegetable oil

  Natreon canola, high stability, non trans, high oleic (70%)

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Soy sauce

  Regular sodium, Shoyu

  3 tbsp or 48g

• Kotterin Mirin

  Kikkoman

  3 tablespoon or 300g

• Sake

  Alcoholic beverage, made from rice

  3 tbsp or 45g

• Brown sugar

  1 tbsp or 9g

Directions

1. Combine all the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside. Lightly coat the renkon (lotus root) slices with katakuriko (potato starch) or cornflour/cornstarch on one side using a sieve/strainer (this will help them stick to the meatballs). Set aside. Mince/grind the chicken thighs by pulsing briefly in a food processor (you don’t want it super smooth) or finely chopping with a knife. In a large bowl, mix together the minced/ground chicken, shallots, salt and pepper so that the chicken is well seasoned. Add the ginger, egg, panko breadcrumbs and chives and mix well again to evenly combine. If the mixture looks too soft to be moulded, then add some extra panko breadcrumbs. Using damp hands to stop the mixture from sticking, divide the chicken mixture into 12 portions and roll each portion into a small round ball. Gently press each meatball down onto the potato-starched side of a slice of renkon (lotus root), so that the mince is squashed into the holes. Flatten each ball to about 2 cm/¾ inch thick. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the meatballs. Place a large frying pan/skillet over a high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then place the meatballs, renkon side-down, inside the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and fry the meatballs until browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to low, then put the lid onto the pan to steam the patties for 3–4 minutes. Remove the lid and pour the teriyaki sauce over the meatballs in the pan. Turn the heat back up a little and simmer for about 3 minutes until it has thickened and glazed the surface of the meatballs. Remove from the pan and serve the renkon tsukune with shichimi and fresh egg yolk for dipping, if you like. Ikeda, Atsuko. Atsuko's Japanese Kitchen (p. 82). Ryland Peters & Small. Kindle Edition.