Japanese Tasting Plate

Here is a super easy but really impressive Japanese Tasting Plate that you can perfect while in isolation and then show off your skills at a dinner party for your friends when we are able to socialise again.

Gyoza

Ingredients:

2 x packet of Gow Gee

500g of pork mince, chicken mince or prawn (or combination)

1 tbls corn flour

1/2 iceberg lettuce

Spring onions

2 cloves of garlic

Knob of ginger

2 tbs of soy sauce (or tamari)

1 tbs Sesame Oil

Sesame seeds

Rice wine vinegar

Method:

Add mince, finely chopped lettuce, grated ginger and garlic, thinly sliced spring onion whites, 2 tablespoons of soy or tamari sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of corn flour. Mix until well combined. If the mixture is too wet and not holding it's shape, add a little more corn flour.

Once complete, set up your gyoza wrapping workstation with your filling, your gow gee wrappers and a small cup of water. Take approximately a tablespoon of filling and place into the centre of the gow gee. Dip your finger in the water and run this around the edge of the gow gee to create a binding agent. Fold the wrapper in half and then add pleats into the dumpling.

At this point if you have too many gyoza, you can freeze some to cook at a later date.

To cook the gyoza, heat up a pan and add a generous helping of oil. Please the gyoza on their side in the pan and add approximately 2 tbs of water (be careful!). It should start sizzling and steaming. Add your lid and allow to steam for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove lid and flip gyoza to the second side. Allow to cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. Then they are ready!

While they are cooking, make the dipping sauce by combine 2 tbs of soy sauce and 3 tbs of white wine vinegar to a bowl with some sesame seeds and shallots.

Oven Baked Karaage Chicken

Ingredients:

4 - 5 Boneless Chicken Thigh Fillets

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cooking sake (I used normal sake)

1 tablespoon of Kecap or mirin

1 tablespoon ginger (minced)

1 small clove garlic (chopped)

Corn Flour

Lemon wedges and Japanese Mayonnaise

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Combine soy sauce, sake, kecap, ginger and garlic to create marinade. Marinade chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Once marinated, pour flour into a separate bowl and add chicken to this bowl until they or fully covered.

Place foil on a baking tray and spray with oil. Place chicken pieces on the tray, evenly spaced. Place in the over for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with Jap mayo and lemon wedges.

Steamed Greens

Ingredients:

Shallots

Garlic

Beans

Broccolini

Brussels Sprouts

Kecap

Sesame seeds

Method:

Steam greens for 4 minutes. Heat up some oil in a pan and add sliced shallot whites to fry. Once looking crispy, add the steamed greens, garlic and sesame seeds to the frying pan. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes.

Serve the greens on a platter and drizzle Kecap on top.

That's it! A delicious Japanese Tasting Platter to share with your friends (or eat all to yourself).

Kind regards,

Kate