Chicken Loaf

This is a Japanese style flat meat loaf with a healthy ginger flavour. Easy, quick to make and delicious. Children love it too. Great served as Japanese Izakaya style as tapas with pre dinner drinks or as a main dish with salad. It tastes good when cold too, so makes an interesting addition to your picnic basket.

Serves: 3-4 as a main meal

Ingredients

400g minced chicken
½ onion – chopped finely
½ beaten egg
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin (or 2 teaspoons sugar & 2 teaspoons sake)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Oil

Method

1. Chop onion very finely. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil and sesame seeds.Combine well. The mixture is very soft.
2. Heat a frying pan with a little oil over medium heat. Place meat mixture and spread evenly to make 1cm thick round loaf. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes until the colour of the bottom of the loaf and some area of the top turn white. The bottom of the loaf should be cooked and firm enough to flip over.
3. Using a wide turner, flip the loaf upside down and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle half the sesame seeds on top and flip it back again. Leave to cook for 1 minute.
5. Cut in wedges and sprinkle more sesame seeds to serve.

Tips: Mirin is sweet cooking rice wine essential for Japanese cooking. You can buy a bottle at supermarkets or Asian stores. You can substitute sugar and sake (substitute – white wine).

You can use 1 tablespoon of miso instead of soy sauce for a twist.