Chicken & Cheese Roll, with Mustard & Vinegar Miso Sauce

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes                   Courtesy of: Marche @ Mistuwa Market, Torrance

Ingredients:

·         Daikon Radish, cut into 4 inch section

·         Long Carrot, cut into 3.5 inch section

·         Chicken Strips, 2 pieces

·         Mitsuba Parsley Leaf

·         Processed Cheese

·         Sweet & Sour Seasoning:

Vinegar             5 tbsp

Mirin                 5 tbsp

Salt

·         Seasoning for Chicken Strips

Sake                 3 tbsp

Salt                  ½ tsp

·         Mustard & Vinegar Miso Sauce:

Barley miso       1 cup

Sugar               1 cup

Mirin                 1 cup

Vinegar             ¾ cup

Mustard  

Preparation

1.    Rotary cut the daikon & carrot and soak into salt water.  Then cut them into 4 inch and 3.5 inc square shapes, then soak them into sweet & sour seasoning for a while.

2.    Cut off the skin & excess parts of chicken strips, then cut and open them like a bok.  After cooking them with sake & salt, split them into small pieces.

3.    Boil the mitsuba parsley lightly with salted water and cool it down with cold water, then squeeze out excess water.  Cut the cheese into ½ inch square & 2 inch long square prism shape

4.    Wipe the daikon and carrot square papers to take off the excess water, and stack them in layers.  Put some chicken & cheese on the layers and tie it up with mitsuba after wrapping them

5.    Mix miso, sugar & mirin together, and put vinegar.  Add some mustard and mix it well.

6.    Place 2 rolled chicken & cheese sticks on a plate and put some mustard & vinegar miso sauce on the side.

Part 2 :  How to Cook Japanese Rice - The Slow Way 

1. Measure out the rice carefully into your pot and rinse vigorously under running water. Swish the rice around with your hands - the water will turn a milky white color.

2.  Drain the cloudy water away and add fresh water, and swish the rice around again. Repeat this step 2 - 3 times.

3. rain, leaving just a little water, and rub the grains together several times with the palms of your hands gently as if you were polishing them.

*It is a known scientific fact that rice water contains an important ingredient called Pitera that can help replenish skin moisture and maintain smoothness.  So think of this process a skin care procedure for your hands :-) *

4. Add plenty of fresh water and rinse out the rice. Drain and rinse until the water is almost clear.

5.  Drain the rice in a fine mesh sieve and leave for a little while, preferably at least 30 minutes.  

6.  Last but not least, after you place the rice in the rice cooker, let it soak in HOT water for at least 30 minutes before pressing the COOK button.  

7. Now you can finally relax and be assured that a pot of beautiful, soft yet slightly chewy Japanese rice will be waiting for you in 50 minutes. (Trust me, it is worth the wait!)