Family Cooking Together – Japanese Recipes
We hope you enjoyed your class and are ready to recreate the meals at home. The recipes work really well as mid-week dinners for all the family.
We Cooked:
- Main & Side: Pork Gyozas, Katsu Chicken with Sticky Sushi Rice
- Dessert: Dorayaki pancakes or try out the Food Sorcery Chocolate Fondant
Pork Gyoza
For vegan or vegetarian use roasted sweet potato
Servings: 2 People
Ingredients
- 125 g Pork mince or 1 roasted sweet potato with 1 heaped tsp white miso
- ⅛ Chinese nappa cabbage about 1 leaf
- 1 Spring onion
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger
- ½ tsp Togarashi spice
- Sea salt a pinch to taste
- Cracked black pepper a pinch to taste
- MSG Optional, a pinch to taste
- ½ tsp Sesame oil
- 10 Dumpling wrappers
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil
For the Optional Crispy Lattice
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- 4 tsp Water
Method
- Finely slice the Chinese leaf cabbage and place it in a dish. Add a sprinkle of salt to it and massage it into the cabbage to release moisture.
- Meanwhile prepare the aromatics - finely chop the garlic, spring onion and ginger and place in a separate mixing bowl. Add the pork or sweet potato and seasonings, including sesame oil.
- Squeeze as much moisture out of the cabbage as you can before adding this to the mixture and combine everything well.
- Mix the filling vigorously in one direction until it reaches the consistency of a sticky paste. If using meats like chicken or pork, you will start to notice white streaks along the sides of the mixing bowl (this is the fats breaking down and will result in a much more tender and juicy bite).
Folding the Gyoza
- Place a dumpling wrapper on your palm and add the filling in the centre of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and lightly wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper. Pinch the wrapper in the middle and crimp the edges on one side, repeat on the other. Seal the wrapper then place it on a non-stick flat surface. Repeat to make all your dumplings.
Steamed Method
- Place non-stick materials such as cabbage leaves or baking paper in a steamer and place the gyoza on it. Make sure the gyoza are not touching each other. Put the lid on. Place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and cook the gyoza for 6-12 minutes on medium-low heat.
- When cooked the gyoza should look slightly translucent Serve immediately.
Pan Fried Potsticker Method:
- In a well-heated pan, add some cooking oil. Place your dumplings and cook over medium-high heat until the bottom of the gyoza is golden brown (2 to 3 mins). Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low.
- Add the water (1/4 cup) and put the lid on to cook with the steam. This will ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked without burning. Your gyoza should be ready to eat when most of the water disappears from the pan (about 5 mins).
Optional - Add a Crispy Lattice
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornflour and water together.
- Add the slurry around the dumplings, not directly over the top. Immediately cover with a lid. Steam for 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and serve.
Serve the gyoza while hot, in a broth or with a dipping sauce or soy sauce.
Dipping Sauce for Dumplings
This was pre made for you by chef.
Servings: 2 People
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Ponzu
- 1 tsp Black vinegar
- 1 tsp Water
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 clove Garlic Mashed or Grated
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger Grated
For Korean Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Gochugaru Korean chilli flakes
To Garnish
- 1 tbsp Spring onion sliced, optional
Method
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Chicken Katsu
Alternative Protein: Firm tofu
Servings: 2 People
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 300 g Chicken mini fillets cut into thick slices. OR 250 g Firm tofu
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 2 tbsp Water
- 125 g Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
For the Coconut Curry Sauce
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- ½ White onion diced
- 2 clove Garlic minced or grated
- 10 g Fresh ginger 2 tsp, grated
- ½ Carrot grated
- 1 tsp Mild curry powder
- 200 ml Vegetable stock
- 50 ml Coconut milk
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Method
For the Coconut Curry Sauce
- Heat the Vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the White onion, Garlic, Fresh ginger and Mild curry powder. Cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add the Carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the Vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Stir through the Coconut milk.
- Blend until smooth if preferred.
- Season with Sea salt and Cracked black pepper to taste.
For the Chicken
- In a bowl, mix the Cornflour, Water, Sea salt and Cracked black pepper to form a smooth batter.
- Place the Breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
- Dip the Chicken mini fillets into the Cornflour mixture, then coat thoroughly in the Breadcrumbs.
- Heat the Vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the Chicken mini fillets for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve with the Coconut Curry Sauce.
- For tofu. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper before serving.
How to Cook Sushi Rice
Servings: 2 People
Ingredients
- 150 g Sushi rice we prefer Nishiki or Yutaka Koshi
- 165 ml Water
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 12 g Caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Sea salt to taste
Method
- Soak rice before rinsing for 20 minutes for more tender grains.
- Rinse at least 3-4 times under running cold water, until it runs clear.
- Place water and rice in a cold pan with no lid, then heat until simmering.
- After bubbles appear, place the lid on your pan, turn the heat down and simmer for 11 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let rest for 20 minutes, do not remove the lid.
Seasoning
- Combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small sauce pan and cook until the sugar has dissolved, and the liquid has reduced down by half.
- Add the seasoning to your rice, mix well and chill well in a refrigerator before using.
Japanese Dorayaki Pancakes
Makes six pancakes
Servings: 2 People
Ingredients
For the Pancakes
- 4 Egg
- 140 g Caster sugar
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 160 g Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil
For the Ube Cream Filling
- 30 ml Double cream
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- ¼ tsp Ube extract or 1 tsp Mango purée
Optional Filling & Garnish
- Watermelon boba pearls
- Mochi
Method
For the Ube Cream Filling
- Place the Double cream, Caster sugar and Ube extract or Mango purée in a bowl.
- Whisk until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until required.
For the Pancakes
- Place the Egg, Caster sugar and Honey in a bowl.
- Whisk until pale, thick and fluffy.
- Sift in the Plain flour and Baking powder. Fold until fully combined.
- Refrigerate the batter for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and stir through the Water. The batter should have a thick pouring consistency. Add a little more Water if required.
- Heat a pan over medium-low heat.
- Lightly grease with Vegetable oil, then wipe away any excess using kitchen paper.
- Pour approximately 3 tbsp batter into the pan to form an 8 cm pancake.
- Cook for 1–1½ minutes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
- Turn over and cook for 20–30 seconds until lightly golden.
- Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean damp cloth.
- Repeat until all the batter is used. You should have approximately 12 pancakes.
To Assemble
- Spread the Ube Cream Filling onto one pancake.
- Add Watermelon boba pearls or Mochi if using.
- Top with a second pancake to create a sandwich.
- Serve immediately.
Chef Notes
- Wiping excess oil from the pan is the key to achieving an evenly coloured Dorayaki.
- Keep cooked pancakes covered with a damp cloth to prevent them drying out.
- Watermelon boba pearls and Mochi can be found in many Asian supermarkets, including Wing Yip and WH Lungs
We hope you enjoyed the class!
If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
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