Pork & Kimchi Japanese Style Croquette

Japanese style croquette is one of my favourite potato dishes.  The one I am introducing here is a variation adding the famous Korean pickles Kimchi as "Umami".

Because Kimchi has a unique strong flavour, quite many Western people hesitate to eat it.  However, once it is cooked as an ingredient of a dish, its strong flavour disappears and only Umami remains to make the dishes more delicious.

This is a very delicious hearty potato dish and I bet you will change your ideas about Kimchi and start using it for your cooking as a secret spice!  

Ingredients for 8
★2 teaspoons soy sauce
★1 teaspoon sake or if not available replace by 1 teaspoon dry sherry or white wine
★1 teaspoon sugar
2 large russet potatoes (about 1.4 lb)
4 oz thin sliced pork belly or if not available replace by 4oz ground pork
4 oz napa cabbage kimchi
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
white pepper to taste
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon sesame oil
about 1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and white pepper
2 eggs, well beaten with 2 tablespoon milk
some bread crumbs, preferably Japanese style panko
some canola oil to shallow fry


Instructions
Combine the first 3 ingredients with ★, stir well and set aside.

Wash the potatoes and lightly pat-dry with a paper.  Wrap the potatoes individually with a paper towel and cook in microwave at 1000W for 8 minutes.  Remove the paper towels and place the potatoes on an oven-able tray, turning the potatoes over, so the top side in the microwave becomes the bottom side in the oven.  Cook in a preheated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer.

While baking the potatoes, chop the pork belly and kimchi finely.  As for the kimchi, very lightly squeeze it to remove most of the liquid before or after chopping.

Heat the canola oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic for 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.  Add the pork belly and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the meat is no longer red.

Add the kimchi to the frying pan.  Continue frying for 4 - 5 minutes, until the kimchi's liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes a little stickier.  Add the ★ spice mixture to the frying pan.  Stir well and cook for a minute or so.

Add the green onion and sesame oil, mix well and remove from the heat.  Cool the mixture for 10 - 15 minutes.

Cut the potatoes lengthways in half , and with a spoon scrape out the potato flesh while they are still hot (being careful of not to get your hands burnt)!  Discard the skins.  Mash with a folk roughly rather than using a masher.  A few lumps left over always make the croquette texture better.  Stir in the pork and kimchi mixture.  Season with salt and white pepper as necessary.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 10 x 6 inch square tray and spread evenly.  With a scraper or knife, score the mixture into 8 even pieces.  Cool it completely.

Gently squeeze and shape each portion of the potato mixture into an oval.  Coat the each oval potato cake with the seasoned flour, dip it into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs.  Then, dip it into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs one more time.  Chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to set.

Heat about 1/4 inch deep oil in a frying pan and cook the potato cakes until they become brown all over.

Serve hot with Bulldog "Tonkatsu" Sauce (available at the ethnic corner of your nearest supermarket).

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Below is the Japanese version of the recipe.  If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese with pictures covering every step, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!


＜材料　８個分＞
じゃがいも．．．大きめ３個（約６００ｇ）
豚バラ．．．１００～１２０ｇ
白菜キムチ．．．１００ｇ
サラダ油．．．適宜
にんにく、みじん切り．．．１かけ
白こしょう．．．適宜
★醤油．．．小さじ２
★酒．．．小さじ１
★砂糖．．．小さじ１
★味の素．．．適宜
ねぎ、細かく刻む．．．１／３カップ程度
ごま油．．．小さじ１
塩．．．適宜（必要に応じ）
（衣）
小麦粉．．．約１カップ
塩白こしょう．．．適宜
卵．．．２個
牛乳．．．大さじ２
パン粉．．．適宜
（その他）
サラダ油．．．適宜


＜作り方＞
 １．じゃがいもは皮ごとたわしで綺麗に洗い、乾いたふきんで水分を軽く拭き取り、少々湿っている状態でキッチンペーパーに包み、１０００Wの電子レンジで８分程度加熱する。

２．１のじゃがいものペーパーを取り除き、レンジの中で上になっていた面を底にしてオーブントレーに並べる。２００度で予熱を済ませたオーブンで２０分焼く。

３．じゃがいもを焼いている間に豚キムチを作る。豚バラ、キムチ共に包丁で細かく刻む。（キムチの水分は少々あっても大丈夫！）

４．フライパンにサラダ油を熱しにんにくを炒める。数秒して香りが立ちはじめたら豚バラを加え、ほぼ火が通るまで２分程度炒める。

５．４にキムチを加え、キムチの水分が蒸発し、少しととこっとしたようになるまで４～５分じっくり炒める。こしょうと★の合わせ調味料を加え、たれが絡んでとろみがつくまで更に２分程度炒める。

６．５にねぎとごま油を加え、さっと全体に混ぜ合わせたら火から下ろす。

７．じゃがいもはオーブンから出したて熱い内に２等分し、スプーンで身をくりぬいてボウルに入れる。皮は処分。

８．マッシャーは使わず、フォークなどで粗く潰す。６を加え、スプーンに替えて全体に万遍なく混ぜ合わせる。味見をし必要に応じて塩で味を調える。

９．８をバットに移し、薄く広げてフライヤーなどで８等分し、そのまま完全に冷めるまで待つ。

１０．衣の準備をする。小麦粉に塩白こしょうを少々加えよく混ぜ合わせる。卵は必ずカラザを取り除き、牛乳を加え、白身のドロドロ感がなくなりさらっとするまで、泡だて器でよく溶きほぐす。

１１．９で分けたコロッケの種を１つずつ俵型に形成する。小麦粉をまぶし、卵に浸し、パン粉を全体につけたら、再び卵に浸し、パン粉をつける。８個全部に衣が付いたら５～６分休ませる。

１２．フライパンにサラダ油を６～７ｍｍの厚さに引いて熱し、コロッケを揚げ焼きする。
 

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Chili Con Carne on Baked Potato

I used to cook Chili Con Carne using butter, ale, sour cream, full fat cheese... without any hesitations!

It was very tasty, but obviously not healthy at all. :-(

I therefore challenged myself to reduce the fat and calories from my recipe while retaining the same flavour and deliciousness, or creating an even tastier low fat Chili Con Carne.

I used unsweetened cocoa powder which has very low calories and at the end of cooking dashes of Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce which is I call British version UMAMI.

Try my Chili Con Carne recipe!  It is less fatty, but very delicious.


Ingredients for 4 people
1lb Italian mild sausage meat (all natural - no corn syrup!) or organic ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 - 2 serrano peppers, seeded, removed membranes and chopped finely
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef stock, dissolve granulated beef stock in twice strength
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 bay leaf
salt & black pepper to taste
1 can black or kidney beans (your choice), washed and drained
1 tablespoon Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

(others)
4 baked large russet potatoes
some non-fat Greek yogurt
some reduced fat Cheddar cheese, grated
some green onion, chopped finely


Instructions
Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the sausage meat (or ground beef) without oil until it is no longer red.  Remove the meat from the frying pan and drain extra fat on kitchen paper.

In a deep pan heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 4 - 5 minutes.  Add the celery, garlic, serrano peppers, chili power and cumin and cook for further 4 - 5 minutes, or until the spices bathed with the vegetables liquid and become more like paste.

Add the cocoa to the pan and cook for 1 minute stirring well.  Add the tomato and beef stock and bring to a boil.  Return the meat.

Add the tomato paste, oregano and a bay leaf.  Season with salt & pepper, cover with the lid, reduce the heat and cook for about 1 hour.

Add the beans and put back the lid.  Cook for a further 20 minutes.  Season with Worcestershire sauce and additional salt & black pepper as necessary.  Cook for 5 - 6 minutes before serving.

Serve the Chili Con Carne on the baked potatoes, topped with the yogurt, cheese and green onion.


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.


Bon appetit!

 

Matcha Roll Cake with White Chocolate Cheese Cream

 

I am from Japan, but personally do not like matcha flavoured sweets.  For me, they are a bit too bitter.

The only matcha flavoured sweet I love is Starbucks Japan's matcha frappuccino.  I know similar matcha flavoured frappuccino is available in America, but, trust me, the one their Japan branches serve to customers is 100 times tastier!  Sooooo...yummy!  If you are a great matcha fan and have a chance to visit Japan, you must try it! 

Having said that however, even if you are a matcha freak, traveling to Japan to taste the frappuccino is not a cheap option.  So why don't you try making the matcha roll cake using my recipe?

I created this recipe inspired by the flavour of Starbucks Japan's matcha frappuccino.  My husband who is British (from the county of tea!) hates any forms of tea, but even he enjoyed this roll cake very much.

I added matcha to the batter of the sponge, but it has none of the strong bitterness of green tea and a very mild flavour.  The filling is sweetened with white chocolate without adding sugar at all and its texture is heavier than whipped cream, but lighter than butter cream.  It is a very delicately delicious roll cake.


Ingredients for 2 rolls
2 tablespoons unsalted butter + extra for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons milk (I used 1% low fat milk)
2.8 oz (80g) cake flour
5 teaspoon cooking matcha*
pinch of salt
4 eggs
4.2 oz (120g) raw cane sugar

(filling)
6.4 oz (180g) mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1.4 oz (40g) white chocolate, melt in microwave at 1000W for 40 seconds

(Other)
some matcha and powdered sugar for dusting

Note: I usually use metric scales, especially when baking.  I converted the metric figures of my recipe into avoirdupois, but if your scales have a convertible function to metric, I strongly recommend to use the metric figures that I included in the above recipe.

* Cooking matcha is available at Japanese stores, but I actually bought it at the Oriental corner of American supermarkets (QFC).  I will attach a picture of the cooking matcha that I used at the end of this post.


Instructions
Combine the butter and milk in a microwavable dish and heat in a microwave at 1000W for 30 - 40 seconds to melt.  Stir well and leave in a warm place to avoid setting.

Grease an 11 x 16 inch oven tray with the butter and line with parchment paper.  Make sure that each end of the long side has a couple of inches paper hanging over the end of the tray (useful for removing the sponge from the tray when it is baked). 

Sieve the flour, matcha powder and salt together.  Set aside.

With an high speed electric beater, beat the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl until it becomes thick and pale (it really takes ages, maybe 6 - 7 minutes!), then reduce the speed to low and beat a further 1 to 2 minutes to make the mixture smoother.

Carefully fold the shifted flour mixture into the bowl.

Add the melted butter mixture and fold together making sure not to break the batter's fluffy bubbles.

Spread the batter into the lined tray and smooth the surface.  Gently drop the tray a couple of times on the kitchen surface to remove the air from the batter and spread it out more evenly.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of sponge comes out clean.

Lift the sides of paper to remove the sponge from the tray to a wire rack, cover it with a large enough parchment paper to prevent it from drying and cool it completely.

To make the filling, place the cheese and cream in a mixing bowl and lightly beat with a whisk until they are incorporated but still a little runny.  Do not over whisk the filling as it will becomes thicker when you add the melted chocolate.

Add the melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and beat until it becomes fully spreadable cream.

Invert the sponge and gently remove the parchment paper that the sponge was cooked with.  Invert the sponge one more time to the parchment paper that you used for the cover (now brown side up) and spread the filling all over the sponge (note that you should be spreading the filling on the "cooked" side of the sponge!).

Starting at one of the long sides, gently roll up the sponge and use the parchment paper to wrap it and hold it in place.  Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before slicing. 

Trim off the each end of roll cake and divide it half and half.  A trick for slicing beautifully is to warm up your knife in hot water, dry with a paper towel, and slice whilst the knife is still hot.  Make sure you clean the knife every single slice!  Dust one piece with the matcha powder and the other with the powdered sugar.

I bought this can of cooking matcha

at my local QFC's Oriental food corner.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Bubble & Squeak Deluxe

Bubble & Squeak is one of the most tasty British inventions! Originally it was cooked with leftovers of mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage.

You do not have to wait until you have some leftovers.  You can cook it from scratch too.

Here, I am introducing a recipe for a delicious modification to Bubble & Squeak.  Mine is meaty and voluminous and it becomes a beautiful hearty dinner when served with yolky fried eggs or canned baked beans.


Ingredients for 3 - 4 people
about 1/8 cabbage, remove the heart and roughly chopped
1 small carrot, peel and roughly chopped
2 slices fatty bacon, chopped finely
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely
1/2 bell pepper (any colour), chopped finely
2-3 mushroom, chopped finely
1 stick celery, chopped finely
2 large russet potatoes, peel, boiled and mashed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt and black pepper to taste


Instructions
Put enough water into a small pan that will cover the cabbage and carrot, and bring to the boil.  Add the cabbage and carrot, put on the lid and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or until they become soft.  Drain and leave them to cool.  Wrap the cabbage in a piece of kitchen paper and squeeze lightly to remove excess water.  Chop the vegetables finely.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the bacon until it browns and lots of fat comes off.  With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a plate and dab the bacon using a piece of kitchen paper to remove excess fat, but make sure you leave the bacon fat that's still in the frying pan for the next step.

In the same frying pan, heat the half of the butter and cook the onion, bell pepper, mushroom and celery for 5 - 6 minutes or until the vegetables become soft.

Return the bacon to the frying pan and add the cabbage, carrot and parsley.  Cook for a minute or two.

Add the mashed potato and stir well in order to combine the bacon and vegetables into the potato evenly.  Season with garam masala, salt & black pepper.

Now, with the back side of wooden spoon, press the mixture into a large thick pizza shape.  Cook over the medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of potato cake becomes brown.  Gently shake the frying pan every so often making sure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Invert the potato cake to a large enough plate.  Melt the rest of butter in the frying pan and slide the potato cake back.  Cook a further 10 minutes or until the new bottom side also becomes brown.

Cut the Bubble & Squeak into 8 wedges and serve hot with some yolky fried eggs or canned baked beans. 


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Battenburg Cake

One of my favourite British cakes is Battenburg cake which is a sort of variation on a Victoria sponge cake.

Battenburg cake is made of four sponge bars of which two are pink and the other two are yellow.  Four sponge bars are alternated in a checkerboard pattern and wrapped with marzipan.  It has a deliciously delicate scent of almonds.

Last Christmas I made a Christmassy version of Battenburg cake using two typical Christmas colours - red and green.  Rather than the classic 4 checkerboard pattern, I made the cake a little bit more complicated using sixteen sponge bars.

I wrapped my cake with cellophane sheet to add to the distinctive four by four pattern and gifted to one of my girlie friends.

The cake looked so pretty and tasted beautiful.  It surely was a tasty Christmas present for her!


Ingredients for 1 cake (6~8 people)
6 1/4 oz butter softened + extra for greasing
6 1/4 oz sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup self rising flour, sieved
few drops vanilla extract
1//4 teaspoon red food colouring
1/4 teaspoon green food colouring
some apricot jam
14oz ready made marzipan
powdered sugar for dusting


Instructions
Grease and then line two 7 inch square cake tins with parchment paper.  Place a large mixing bowl on scales and weigh it.  Write down the weight of bowl in order not to forget.

Combine the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl and mix well until pale and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs to the butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.

Carefully fold the flour into the mixture, then stir in vanilla extract.

Place the mixing bowl on scales again and subtract the net weight of bowl that you wrote down to find the weight of batter.  Transfer the exactly half weight of batter into another mixing bowl.

Stir in the red food colouring to one of the mixing bowls and the green food colouring to the other mixing bowl.

Spoon the two different colour batters into the individual cake tins.  Bake both together in a preheated oven at 325F for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centres of the sponges come out clean.

Leave the sponges in the tins for 5 - 6 minutes, then turn them out to a wire rack.  Remove the parchment paper and leave to cool completely.

Trim the edges of the sponge cakes making sure the two cakes are exactly same size.  Cut each sponge into 8 equal rectangles.

Take 2 red and 2 green rectangles of the sponge cakes and place the red, green, red and green sponges side by side, spreading the apricot jam for each joint as glue.

Spread the apricot jam all over the top of first layered sponges.  Place next 2 red and 2 green sponges on top of the first layered sponges alternating the colors like a checkerboard.

Spread the apricot jam on top of the second layered sponges and repeat for the third and forth layers.  The apricot jam should also be spread on top of the fourth layer of sponge.

Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with the powdered sugar into about 8 x 18 inch rectangle (it should be large enough to wrap the cake completely).

Turn the cake upside down onto the middle of marzipan and spread the apricot jam all over the front, back and top sides of the cake.

Wrap the marzipan around the cake, trim the each end of marzipan, overlap and pinch them to seal.

Place the seam side down and trim off each side.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Spicy Double Pumpkin Rolls

These rolls are a delicious modification to cinnamon rolls.  I first baked these using one of the pumpkins that we decorated for Halloween 2012.

Homemade pumpkin puree is included in both the dough and the puree, and the fillings are both spicy and far more moist than ordinary cinnamon rolls.

These rolls are exceptionally tasty and I am 100% sure that you'll love them!

Ingredients for 12 rolls
1 medium size sugar pumpkin

(Dough)
3 cups all-purpose flour + for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter + for greasing
5 5/8 oz pureed sugar pumpkin
1/2 orange zest grated
3/10 cup milk
3/10 cup water
2 teaspoons dry yeast

(Sweet Pumpkin Paste)
10 1/2oz pureed sugar pumpkin
5 1/4 soft brown sugar
1/2 orange zest grated
1 orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

(Vanilla Icing)
2 oz powder sugar
1 level tablespoon milk
few drops vanilla extract

1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of milk beaten together to make the egg wash
some chopped hazel nuts for topping (optional)


Instructions
Rinse the pumpkin, cut off the top and halve.  Scrape off the seeds and spongy fibers and cut into large cubes.  Arrange the pumpkin cubes on a steamer basket in a single layer.

Put a couple of inches of water in a pan which is slightly larger than the steamer basket.  Put on the lid, place the pan on the heat and bring to a boil.  When the pan starts steaming, place the steamer basket over the boiling water.  Cook until the pumpkin flesh is soft when pierced with a skewer.

Cool the pumpkin and scoop out the flesh.  Discard the skin.  Roughly mash the pumpkin, then force it through a strainer to make it smooth puree.  Divide the puree to 5 5/8 oz for the dough and 10 1/2 oz for the sweet pumpkin paste.  The rest can be stored in the freezer for later meals.

To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in a bread machine pan according to the recommended order by the manufacture, then select the dough cycle.

To make the sweet pumpkin paste, put all the ingredients in a pan and place on a low heat.  Stirring constantly, cook it until most of the liquid evaporates and the consistency becomes thicker.  Remove from the heat and cool completely.

When the dough cycle finishes, remove the dough from the pan and place on a lightly floured surface.  Punch down the dough, then form it into a ball.  Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes.

Lightly punch down the dough again, then roll it out into about 16 x 12 inch rectangle.  Spread the sweet pumpkin paste all over the dough.

Starting at one of long sides, roll up the dough and pinch the seam to seal.  Slice the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Make sure you clean the knife with a damp cloth after every slice.

Grease well a 11 inch flan tin with butter and line the base with parchment paper.  Place three rolls close together (forming a triangle) in the centre, then place the rest evenly around the circumference of the tin.  Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let them rest for 40 - 50 minutes, or until they are doubled in size.

Brush the rolls with egg wash and bake for 30 - 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F.

Cool a little then remove from the tin.  Let the rolls cool on a wire rack.

Mix well all the icing ingredients and glaze the cooled rolls.  Top with the chopped hazel nuts if you like.


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Anchovy Potatoes

Anchovy Potatoes are very popular dish at Japanese pubs (izakayas), although the way of cooking varies from boiling to mashing to frying, roasting etc.  No matter which way they are cooked, they are served as a side dish or a part of Japanese-style tapas.

My recipe for anchovy potatoes is for oven cooked anchovy flavoured wedges.  It looks like a very simple dish, but in fact I had to keep trying different methods to create this recipe - the anchovy flavour can disappear if you over cook it.


Ingredients for 2 people
1 pound (after peeling) white or red potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
10 anchovy fillets chopped finely
2 teaspoons preserved oil from the anchovy jar
salt and black pepper to taste  
chopped parsley


Instructions
Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges 1/3 inch thick. Wash the potato wedges under running water to remove the starch, and leave to drain.

Place the potato wedges in a microwavable dish.  Cover and cook in a microwave until almost soft but not yet 100% cooked and still keeping their shape. Cool slightly until you can just handle with your fingers.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the finely chopped anchovies and the preserved oil, and cook until the anchovy is incorporated into the butter (about 1 minute).

Pat dry the half cooked potato wedges and place them in a mixing bowl.  Add the anchovy butter and gently mix with a large spoon to coat the butter all over the potato wedges.

Line a parchment paper on a cookie sheet and transfer the potato wedges onto the paper in a single layer.  Cook in an preheated oven at 450~475F for about 10 minutes, take the cookie sheet out and turn the potato wedges, then return it to the oven for further 8 - 10 minutes - they should be slightly crispy.

Season with salt & black pepper and sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve hot.


Bon appetit!