Japanese Chicken Meatballs AKA Tsukune

There's a wonderful Japanese yakitori bar/restaurant not too far from us, which cooks up splendid chicken dishes.  We love their tsukune, but oddly I had never thought to make it myself - until I found this recipe in a Taste magazine recently.  It is simple and so delicious.  As regular readers may be aware, I have a thing about Japanese foods and ceramics, and homewares ...  Konnichi wa, my friends.  See what eighteen months of university Japanese language will do for you? :=)

I guess you could say this is a bit of a cheat's dish as there are some frozen components.  But still delicious for all that.  As an aside, I just read that tsukune is a generic term for any Japanese meatball, but that chicken is the most popular.  Yay to that!  But I do feel a bit guilty when going to the restaurant, realising how many chickens died for our dinners.  Sorry, chickens! :=(  

tsukune sizzling in a sauce of mirin and soy

Serves 4: (I made 17 balls!)

ingredients:

For the Tsukune:

500g./1.1 lb chicken mince

25g./½ cup panko breadcrumbs

2 spring onions/green shallots/scallions/green onions, finely sliced

2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated or chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

2.5 Tbs soy sauce

4 tsp wasabi paste - yes, really!

2 Tbs veg. oil (I used EV olive oil, 'cos I'm a rebel)

60 mL/¼ cup mirin or mirin seasoning

2 tsp mixed sesame seeds, toasted (but I forgot to toast 'em)

125g./½ cup Kewpie mayo - yes, it has to be Kewpie!

For the salad:

400g./14 oz baby potatoes, steamed or microwaved till tender

1/2 cup frozen veg. (I like a mix of corn, capsicum and peas), thawed in boiling water for five+ minutes

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 radishes, finely chopped

1-2 Tbs fresh chives, snipped

1-2 Tbs lightly-dried parsley (or fresh, snipped)

2 Tbs sesame seeds

freshly ground black pepper

For the salad dressing:

2 Tbs Kewpie mayo

1 tsp wasabi paste

To serve:

1 packet (400g./14 oz) frozen edamame, boiled and podded

Method:

Whack on some plastic gloves (or with very clean hands) gently mix together the chicken, panko, spring onions, ginger, egg, 2 tsp of the soy sauce and 2 tsp of the wasabi in a medium mixing bowl

Grab tablespoons of the mix, and roll into balls, then whack 'em into the fridge on a tray for 20-30 minutes to firm up

You can then simply fry these in the heated veg. oil over medium heat for 6 minutes before adding the mirin and soy sauce - or do what I did - bake them first at 190C/375F for 10 minutes, which makes the frying quicker and easier ('cos I hate frying, my friends)

So, Mr P. heated the oil in a grill pan, then plopped in the semi-baked meatballs for 3 minutes

We then added the mirin and the rest of the soy sauce to the pan, and Mr P. cooked the balls for another 3 minutes 

And ... sprinkle on the sesame seeds

Mix the Kewpie mayo and the rest of the wasabi in a small bowl, and serve with the tsukune (which you serve with the salad and edamame)

Throw all the salad ingredients into a serving bowl, mix the salad dressing together, spoon onto the salad and give it a gentle stir to coat all the ingredients

Notes:

Just in case it's not clear - if frying them, you cook for 6 minutes, then add the mirin and soy sauce, and fry for another 3 mins.  If baking and frying, bake for 10, then fry for 3 mins., add the seasonings and fry for another 3 mins.

ingredients gathered

tsukune ingredients ready for rolling

ready for baking at 190C/375F for 10 mins.

out of the oven after the 10 mins.

into the frypan with the seasoning

gloriously green edamame

potato-ish salad :-)

ready to serve and eat

Yay!  Dinner is served

© Sherry M.