Chinese style 'Soboro' (fried minced meat)

Soboro is a Japanese minced meat dish that I find too sweet. This is a version that I read on a website somewhere but modified to suit the ingredients I had to hand.  If you prefer this a little spicier, add a chopped red chilli with the onions and garlic.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of minced beef (or any other meat if you prefer)

2 onions, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

4 or 5 spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp Sesame oil

Oil for frying

Sesame seeds for garnish

Sauce:

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

4 tbsp oyster sauce

5 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sugar

METHOD

Combine the ingredients for the sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar.

In one frying pan heat a little oil and add the onions and garlic. Fry gently for a couple.of minutes until the onions start to brown

In a second frying pan, fry the minced meat, turning frequently until browned. Discard any fat/juice. Then add the meat to the onions.

Add the sauce and continue to cook on a low heat until the meat absorbs the dark, rich colour of the sauce. Add half the spring onions and the sesame oil and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice and garnish with the remaining spring onions and sesame seeds.

Chicken and Daikon Niimono

A Japanese dish that we make in bulk for hungry kids. For an easier and much quicker version of this substitute diced chicken thigh for the chicken drumsticks and halve all the ingredients. That said, however quick you cook this it will taste much better the next day!

INGREDIENTS

1kg of chicken drumsticks

1 large daikon radish, peeled, halved lengthwise and then sliced into half moons 

2 leeks, chopped into diagonal

2cm cube of fresh ginger, juliened

Oil for frying

Sauce:

4 cups of dashi (Japanese stock)

1/2 cup of cooking sake 

3 tbsp of mirin

5 tbsp of soy sauce

4 tbsp of sugar

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients of the sauce in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

In a large/deep pan, add a little oil and fry the leeks and ginger for 2 mins. Add the chicken and brown the skin for 5 mins, stirring frequently. Add the daikon and the sauce. Bring to a boil and the reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pan with a sheet of tin foil and simmer until the chicken is tender and the daikon is soft and has absorbed the flavours. This will take about an hour.
Serve with steamed rice.