This is a yummy Japanese inspired recipe that I concocted up on a night when I was feeling like something light and a bit more elegant than my normal PIE. Poaching chicken is a great way of preserving lots of moisture – no danger of a dry breast here – and it also produces a more delicate flavour than roasting, which works well for the feel of this dish. A sweet, sour Asian salad of cucumber and white onion – so simple and so delicious to be revolutionary – pairs well, bringing acidity and some crunch. Tempura vegetables – batter as light as the proverbial feather and fresh, fresh with vegetables, al dente and with a good bite. Dipping sauce on the side for the tempura veg. In my eyes, a really nice dinner.
Not a dinner party dish unless you are cooking for 4 or under – tempura veg is not something that will hang around and sit there waiting for you and you have to do it in batches. But a perfect meal for smaller numbers, unless you are braver than me.
Not a dinner party dish unless you are cooking for 4 or under – tempura veg is not something that will hang around and sit there waiting for you and you have to do it in batches. But a perfect meal for smaller numbers, unless you are braver than me.
Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 2):
2 free range chicken breasts
750ml milk (or just enough to cover the chicken breasts in the pan)
pepper
1 bay leaf
For the sweet and sour salad (or click here for the recipe):
1 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1.5 medium sized white onions, sliced very finely
2 tablespoons white sugar
100ml white vinegar
pinch salt
For the Tempura:
400g assorted vegetables (good ones = asparagus, broccoli, green beans, carrot, sweet potato slices – all prepped and cut into bite size chunks. Then blanch in hot water (plunge into hot water and leave, off the heat – this partially cooks it) to partially cook. Something like carrots will need partially boiling too to cook it enough. The aim is to get your veg almost to the point of being cooked, because deep frying it won’t actually cook it.)
150g tempura batter mix (you can make your own but to be honest, I’ve always had most success with the mixes and there is no shame in it)
220ml ice cold sparkling water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping sauce:
60ml soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 red chilli, chopped
1 inch ginger, julienned
squeeze of lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
Method:
1. For the sweet and sour salad: Combine all the ingredients. Taste for sharpness – add more vinegar or sugar as required – you can’t really measure for this recipe – just taste taste taste. Refrigerate for as long as possible to chill and to allow the flavours to mingle and infuse.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan until hot.
3. For the chicken: put the chicken into a pan with the bay leaf and a few pepper corns. Cover with milk and put over low heat to simmer. Don’t allow it to boil – only a very gentle simmer. Once simmering, poach like this for about 6-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked just through but is still juicy.
4. For the tempura: Test to see if your oil is hot by dipping a vegetable into it or dropping a small bit of bread in. When it sizzles you are on! Using chopsticks, or a fork, mix your tempura batter mix and the ice water. Don’t over mix it – it is perfect when there are little bubbles of flour up on the surface – don’t worry about it being super smooth! Take your vegetables and coat them in the tempura batter mix, a few at a time and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until the tempura is light golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil and put onto kitchen paper, to soak up the oil. Season with some salt.
5. To make the dipping sauce: combine all the ingredients and taste – add more of one of the elements if required.
6. To serve: Pat off any milk residue that may be left. Slice your chicken in 3/4 inch angled slices, season with a bit of salt. Serve on a plate with the sweet and sour salad and tempura vegetables, with the dipping sauce on the side. Delicious and fresh.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
2 free range chicken breasts
750ml milk (or just enough to cover the chicken breasts in the pan)
pepper
1 bay leaf
For the sweet and sour salad (or click here for the recipe):
1 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1.5 medium sized white onions, sliced very finely
2 tablespoons white sugar
100ml white vinegar
pinch salt
For the Tempura:
400g assorted vegetables (good ones = asparagus, broccoli, green beans, carrot, sweet potato slices – all prepped and cut into bite size chunks. Then blanch in hot water (plunge into hot water and leave, off the heat – this partially cooks it) to partially cook. Something like carrots will need partially boiling too to cook it enough. The aim is to get your veg almost to the point of being cooked, because deep frying it won’t actually cook it.)
150g tempura batter mix (you can make your own but to be honest, I’ve always had most success with the mixes and there is no shame in it)
220ml ice cold sparkling water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping sauce:
60ml soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 red chilli, chopped
1 inch ginger, julienned
squeeze of lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
Method:
1. For the sweet and sour salad: Combine all the ingredients. Taste for sharpness – add more vinegar or sugar as required – you can’t really measure for this recipe – just taste taste taste. Refrigerate for as long as possible to chill and to allow the flavours to mingle and infuse.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan until hot.
3. For the chicken: put the chicken into a pan with the bay leaf and a few pepper corns. Cover with milk and put over low heat to simmer. Don’t allow it to boil – only a very gentle simmer. Once simmering, poach like this for about 6-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked just through but is still juicy.
4. For the tempura: Test to see if your oil is hot by dipping a vegetable into it or dropping a small bit of bread in. When it sizzles you are on! Using chopsticks, or a fork, mix your tempura batter mix and the ice water. Don’t over mix it – it is perfect when there are little bubbles of flour up on the surface – don’t worry about it being super smooth! Take your vegetables and coat them in the tempura batter mix, a few at a time and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until the tempura is light golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil and put onto kitchen paper, to soak up the oil. Season with some salt.
5. To make the dipping sauce: combine all the ingredients and taste – add more of one of the elements if required.
6. To serve: Pat off any milk residue that may be left. Slice your chicken in 3/4 inch angled slices, season with a bit of salt. Serve on a plate with the sweet and sour salad and tempura vegetables, with the dipping sauce on the side. Delicious and fresh.
poaching the chicken
cucumber
more cucumber – beautiful and green
assembled salad
blanched veg
tempura mix
fryyyyyy
crispy and beautiful
dipping sauce
delightful
