Chicken and Burdock Rice

This is a rice dish from the Kyushu area in Japan. This chicken and burdock rice is one of my family’s favorite flavored rice dishes. The taste combination of sweet and salty really hits the spot. It is simple and delicious. 

  

Chicken and Burdock Rice

·      2 rice cups of rice (1 rice cup=180cc)

·      ½ lb of boneless chicken thighs

·      1 burdock root

·      ¼ US cup (80ml) of sugar

·      ¼ US cup (80ml) of soy sauce

·      ¼ US cup (80ml) of Japanese sake

·      1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1.     Rinse the rice thoroughly and cook in the rice cooker’s “hard rice” setting.

2.     Clean off the surface of the burdock, thinly slice (shave) with a knife or peeler, and then soak them in water for 5 minutes in order to remove its astringent taste.

3.     Drain the water from the burdock in a strainer.

4.     Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes.

5.     Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and sauté the chicken.

6.     Once the color of the chicken turns white, add the burdock and sauté well.

7.     Add sugar, soy sauce, and sake. Boil it down until the amount of the sauce reduces by 1/3.

8.     Mix the chicken, burdock, and sauce with the cooked rice.

9.     Serve in a rice bowl.

Shishito Peppers with Pork Belly Sauté

Shishito peppers are popular in Japan, but they were once quite rare in the states. I use to have to grow my own in the garden to enjoy them but now I can get them here at the store. This dish is easy and goes well with beer!

Shishito peppers are not usually hot like chili or jalapeno peppers but some of them are hotter than the others. It seems that one out of every ten might be on the hotter side, so we say eating them is like playing Russian roulette. There are some good nutritional benefits to eating peppers, as they are high in antioxidants and vitamin C, so eat them whenever you can.

Shishito peppers are great used in tempura. Try it also with my tempura recipe: Basic Kakiage Tempura. 

Shishito Peppers with Pork Belly Sauté

·      Shishito peppers

·      meat (preferably pork belly)

·      salt

·      pepper

·      oil

1.     Wash Shishito peppers and poke a small hole with knife or tooth pick so that they don’t burst open.

2.     Cut your favorite meat into bite-sized pieces.

3.     Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the meat until the color changes.

4.     Add Shishito peppers into the frying pan and sauté together until the Shishito peppers have a bright green color. Season generously with salt and white or black pepper.

5.     Sauté another 1 to 2 minutes until the meat and Shishito peppers are cooked. Season again if you need then serve.