This meal is very pretty with slices of the palest pink chicken breast, bright green asparagus, and golden sauce. The breast is steamed with lemon slices and sake so it’s luscious and juicy. The kimizu sauce is made with egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar so it is sweet and smooth. I discovered that sometimes Ms. Shimbo adds a little Japanese mustard, and the bit of heat wakes up the flavors. The other advantage of this meal is that it is equally satisfying hot, room temperature, or cold. J. took a container to eat on the road. And in the creative spirit of wafu pasta, I finished it for dinner on spaghetti.
KimizuEgg-Vinegar Sauce
⅓ cup sauce
Have ready:
a pot of simmering water—the bowl in which you whisk the sauce should be able to float in the saucepan. I put a colander in the pan to keep the bowl more stable, yet still floating in the water.
a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking quickly
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks (Ms. Shimbo asks for 3, but the sauce seems too thick)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 3 Tablespoons komezu (rice vinegar)
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add, one at a time, the salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. Float the bowl in a pan of simmering water over low heat, and whisk the mixture to prevent the eggs coagulating as they cook. When the sauce has thickened, put the bowl into ice water and continue whisking until the sauce is cool.
Steamed Chicken BreastTori no Sakamushi Kimizu-zoe
serves 3 to 4
page 425
- two 5″ square kombu (kelp seaweed—the sort you make dashi with)
- 2 boned chicken breast halves, with skin attached
- salt
- 1/4 cup sake
- lemon, sliced thin
- Kimizu sauce
- a few drops of tamari
- a dozen spears of asparagus
Cut away the dry ends of the asparagus, peel off the tough skin on the bottom end, and cut them to fit your steaming dish
Cover the bottom of a metal or glass dish which will fit into your steamer with the kombu. Sprinkle with a little water.
Place the breast halves on the kombu. Pierce the skins with sharp bamboo skewer or a knife point. I’ve made this dish with skinless boneless breasts and it is much better and moister when you leave the skin on; remember, you are not adding butter or oil to cook with and you can always take the skin off when you serve.
Sprinkle with salt and rub it into the chicken. Let this sit for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the chicken with the sake. Cover the chicken with the lemon slices.
Get your steamer up to high steam production and start your rice and miso soup going.
Put the chicken into the steamer and cook over high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes—check that the chicken is cooked with a meat thermometer.
Remove the chicken and asparagus from the steamer. Arrange on plates—it’s easier to eat if you slice the breasts, but they should be tender enough to eat with only chopsticks…
Garnish with the kimizu sauce.
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You’re right, Tess, the food was great cold. Maybe the delicate flavors of the chicken were even favored by my eating it a few hours after it was cooked.
ah well, farewells are not good seasoning for food…
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