Cooking Together Japanese Recipes

Our cooking together cookery classes are as much about learning to cook as they are a sociable experience. We hope you enjoyed your experience and are ready to recreate the dishes again.

We Cooked:

Pork, Chicken (or Sweet Potato) Gyoza – Starter 

Ingredients: makes 8

Filling: 

  • 70g chicken thigh mince or pork mince. Veggie alternative: 70g sweet potato + 1 heaped tsp miso 
  • 2-3 leaves of Chinese leaf cabbage
  • 1 stalk spring onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Thumb of ginger
  • Dash salt, pepper, MSG (optional)
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 8 sheets MLS dumpling wrappers 
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp cornflour  

Dipping sauce: Kikkoman Ponzu / Chilli Oil  

Method

  1. Finely dice the Chinese leaf cabbage and place in a dish. Add a sprinkle of salt to it and massage it into the cabbage to release moisture. Leave for 5-10 minutes. 
  2. Meanwhile prepare the aromatics – finely chop the garlic, spring onion and ginger and place in mixing bowl. 
  3. Add chicken or sweet potato and seasonings including sesame oil. 
  4. Squeeze as much moisture out of the cabbage as you can before adding this to the mixture. 
  5. Combine everything well. Once fully incorporated, 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). 
  6. Wrap gyoza. 
  7. In a non-stick pan, brown the flat sides of the gyoza with a teaspoon of neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed) – about 2 minutes until golden brown. 
  8. Pour in a cornstarch slurry (1:4 cornflour to water) and immediately cover with a lid. Steam for 4-5 minutes. 
  9. Remove the lid and allow any remaining liquid to evaporate before flipping onto serving plate. 

Donburi – Main

Ingredients:

  • 75g Sushi rice
  • ½ cup Rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Salt

Toppings:

  • 10-15 edamame shelled
  • Handful bean sprouts
  • 30g Salmon sashimi or marinade king oyster mushroom
  • Kizami pickled ginger
  • ¼ Cucumber
  • ¼ Avocado
  • 1 stalk spring onion
Sauce options: Soy sauce, teriyaki, kewpie mayo, mirin, cooking sake, Kikkoman sesame sauce, ponzu. See end for images of brands to buy.
 

Method:

If using: marinade King Oyster Mushroom in 1tsp of soy sauce and mirin, then coat in potato starch and pan fry to crisp up.

  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. In a saucepan, add rice vinegar sugar and salt and stir until granules are fully dissolved – don’t bring it to a boil.
  3. Season the rice and allow it to sit whilst preparing the toppings.
  4. Blanch edamame in hot water for 2 mins.
  5. Slice salmon.
  6. Chop cucumber and avocado.
  7. Stir fry bean sprouts then add a drop of soy sauce at the end, once cooked.
  8. Arrange toppings aesthetically over rice.
To serve: sprinkle with Furikake, recipe below and Kewpie roasted sesame dressing.

Donburi with Pork – Main

Ingredients

  • 100g sushi rice 
     

Toppings: 

  • 10-15 edamame shelled  
  • 1 pork loin steak – sliced into thin strips 
  • 1 king oyster mushroom 
  • pickled ginger  
  • ¼ cucumber 
  • ¼ avocado 
  • 1 stalk spring onion 
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce 
  • 2 tbsp mirin 
  • 1 tbsp cooking sake 
  • 1 knob of ginger – grated 
  • 30g daikon radish – grated 
  • 2 tbsp sugar 

Method

  1.  Cook sushi rice.
  2. Marinate pork slices with soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, grated ginger, sugar, grated daikon radish.
  3. Prepare veggies: slice cucumber, avocado and king oyster mushrooms.
  4. In a pan, sauté mushrooms and add teriyaki sauce once 80% cooked to add flavour. Set aside.
  5. In a clean pan, fry pork and reduce until the marinade coats each slice in a sticky glaze.
  6. Arrange toppings aesthetically over rice. 

Furikake – Savoury-Sweet Seasoning

This was pre made for you, it is usually available in Asian supermarkets or make your own.

Ingredients:

  • ⁠ ⁠2-3 roasted nori sheets
  • ⁠ ½ tsp ⁠⁠salt
  • ⁠ ⁠⁠2 tsp msg powder – use Ajinomoto
  • ⁠ 2 tbsp ⁠⁠fried shallots
  • ⁠ ⁠⁠1/2 cup white sesame seeds

Method:

  1. Whizz all up in a food processor.

Daifuku – Additional Dessert Option

Ingredients:

Filling:

  • 1 large strawberry
  • 20g red bean paste

Mochi:

  • ¾ cup glutinous rice flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ corn-starch

Method:

  1. Wash strawberry and cut off the stem.
  2. Encase strawberry in red bean paste and allow to chill to harden.
  3. In a bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, sugar and water. Mix.
  4. Loosely cover with clingfilm and microwave on high for 1 minute.
  5. Stir and fold with a wet rubber or silicone spatula.
  6. Cover loosely and microwave again for another minute.
  7. The colour will turn from white to translucent.
  8. Dust worktop with cornflour and place mochi dough on top.
  9. Dust rolling pin with cornflour and carefully thin the dough.
  10. Wrap over the red bean coated strawberry.

Midori’s Favourite brands to Use

Available in Asian supermarkets such as Hang Won Hong, W.H.Lungs or Wing Yip

image of recommended brands to food sorcery cookery school
Furikake - or make your own
Japanese Mayonnaise
image of recommended brands to food sorcery cookery school
Best for Japanese
Imge of Ingredients for Thai cookery classes at Food Sorcery Manchester and Didsbury
King Oyster Mushrooms
image of Sesame kewpie sauce at Food Sorcery
Kewpie Dressing Sauce
image of recommended brands to food sorcery cookery school
Thicker so hold together better
image of Ponzu at Food Sorcery Manchester
Best for Japanese

Use the link to explore our favourites

We Hope You Enjoyed The Class

If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef please do get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk

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