Mushidori

Ingredients

• 10½ ozchicken thighboneless, skin on; main ingredient
• 10½ ozchicken breastalternative to thigh, skin and excess fat removed (optional)
• Saltto season the meat and the sauce
• 2 tbspSakefor steaming or the poaching liquid
• 1¼ cupsWateronly when poaching in a pot (optional)
• 2Lettuceleaves, as a bed or finely shredded
• 1 tbspCurry powderfor the spicy vegetable paste (optional)
• 1celeryroughly cut, for the paste (optional)
• 1Carrotroughly cut, for the paste (optional)
• 1Onionroughly cut, for the paste (optional)
• ⅓ ozgingerpeeled, for the paste (optional)
• 1tomatofor the paste (optional)
• ⅓ ozSpring onionfinely chopped, for the sesame sauce (optional)
• 2 tbspSesame seedsground, for the sauce (optional)
• 2 tbspSugarfor the sauce (optional)
• 2 tspSoy saucefor the sauce (optional)
• ½ tspdoubanjiang chili bean pastefor the heat of the sauce (optional)

Method

1. Season the boneless chicken thigh (or the breast fillet with skin and fat removed) with salt on both sides.
2. For the curried vegetable paste, roughly cut the celery, carrot, onion, ginger and tomato, then blend them with the curry powder and a little salt to a purée. Reduce half of it gently in a pot and chill — that half goes with the meat later.
3. Spread the remaining curried vegetable paste over the chicken, or, if you want it plainer, just sprinkle it with sake, then lay it in a heatproof dish.
4. Cover the dish loosely with film and cook the chicken in the microwave for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning it once if needed.
5. Leave it covered to rest for around 5 minutes. If you want to serve the dish cold, let it cool and then chill it in the fridge.
6. To cook it in a shallow pot instead, lay the chicken flat in the pot, add the water and sake, bring to the boil over medium heat, turn after 1 to 2 minutes and cook for about 3 minutes more. Check the thickest part for doneness and let the meat sit in the liquid.
7. For the sesame sauce, stir some of the steaming or cooking liquid together with finely chopped spring onion, ground white sesame seeds, sugar, soy sauce and doubanjiang, then season with salt.
8. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, arrange it on whole or finely shredded lettuce leaves and spoon the chilled curried vegetable paste or the sesame sauce over the top or serve it alongside.
9. Strain the remaining cooking liquid and keep it to use as broth.

Tips and variations

You have two directions for seasoning: the curried vegetable paste of celery, carrot, onion, ginger and tomato, or the sesame sauce with doubanjiang, soy sauce and sugar. For cooking, choose between the microwave under film and a brief poach in the water-and-sake liquid in a shallow pot; thigh meat with the skin on comes out richer, breast fillet without skin and fat lighter. Serve the chicken lukewarm right after its resting time or well chilled from the fridge — and keep the strained liquid as soup broth.