(Not Quite) Authentic Japanese Food

As a very white Western girl I can't cook authentic Japanese food.  I do not have any Japanese heritage and living in Kent I do not source my ingredients from Japan.  Though one day I will go there and make fabulous (near) authentic Japanese cuisine.

I can however do the next best thing... improvise.  So last night I treated the boyfriend and myself to Japanese One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.  Inspired by this recipe: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/3226/one-pot-japanese-chicken.aspx, I created a fabulous meal and I swear it tasted like the genuine article.

Japanese One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Serves 2-3

• 400g Chicken fillet
• 2 Noodle nests
• 3 Carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 Handfuls of spinach
• 200g Bamboo shoots
• A bit of red cabbage (As much as you want - it can be any type of cabbage really)
• 1 litre Chicken stock (May need more - half way through I ended up making up another 1/2 litre)
• 1 Clove of garlic (Or to taste)
• 2-3 Eggs (If using)
• Salt and pepper

Ponzo Sauce (My take)

• 100ml Dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp White wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• 3 tbsp Mirin wine
• 1 tbsp vodka
• 1 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce

Method

1. Chop and crush garlic and throw into frying pan with diced chicken, salt and pepper.  Fry until browned and then add the chicken stock.
2. Soak the noodles in a separate bowl in cold water.
3. Add washed and chopped carrots to the pan, trying to cover with the stock, simmer for 10 mins.  Then chop and add cabbage; I cut it into strips.  also add bamboo shoots.  Simmer for five mins.
4. In a small saucepan add all the ingredients for the ponzo sauce and place over a low heat with the lid on.  Take off the heat after about 3-5 mins.
5. Add chopped onion and spinach to the pan.  You may need to add the extra stock at this point. Simmer for 3-5 mins, depending on how soft/crunchy you like your veg.
6. Drain the noodles and add to the pan.
7. If using the egg fry them at this stage.  Dish up the meal into bowls and pour the ponzo sauce over the top.  Place one egg on the top of each meal.

I did not have an egg on the top of my food but Joe did and he said it was wonderful.  I got the idea to add an egg from a Japanese meal we had for my birthday up in London.

My intention had been to make this meal for the two of us but there was so much left over I have enough for lunch at work today!  I am looking forward to it... Yummy Yummy!

=(*^_^*)=