Chicken and Daikon (Soko's recipe)

Ingredients

1 &1/2 daikon radishes (or 2 smaller ones), cut into fat rings and peeled (keep the peel for kimpira), then halved into semi-circles.

1 & 1/2 kg boneless chicken thighs (or chicken legs)

Oil for frying

2 packs dashi powder

3 tbsp of tsuyu

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp sake

2 tbsp mirin

5 tbsp sugar

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and brown the chicken on all sides, then drain the fat.

Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the daikon until soft.

In a pressure cooker, add the chicken, the daik on with the water it was boiled in and all the other ingredients.

Cook for 20 mins at high pressure.

Kimpira

You can make this with gobo (burdock root) or, as we do in our family, all sorts of leftovers.  In the photo here I've used the peel of 1 & 1/2 daikon radishes, the stump of a broccoli and one carrot.  You'll need to adjust the other ingredients to match how much leftover vegetables you are using.

Ingredients

Vegetable leftovers chopped julienne

Sesame oil, for frying

1/3 cup dashi

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sake

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry all the vegetables including the chilli for 2 to 3 mins until.they start to soften. Add all the other ingredients except the sesame seeds and cook over a medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from the heat, add the sesame seeds and mix.

Serve hot or cold with rice.