Miso katsu (Nagoya pork cutlet with red miso sauce)

Step 1: Make the sauce: put the 4 tbsp red miso (hatcho or other dark soybean miso), 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp mirin and ½ cup water or dashi in a small pan and whisk until smooth. Simmer over a low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until it is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Mirin contains a little alcohol; for an alcohol-free sauce use 2 tablespoons of water and 1 extra teaspoon of sugar instead.

Step 2: Stir in the 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and keep the sauce warm on the lowest heat.

Step 3: Soak the shredded 7 oz white cabbage in iced water for 5 minutes to crisp it, then drain well.

Step 4: Snip the fat along the edge of each 2 boneless pork loin chops chop every 2 cm. Press the meat down gently with the heel of your hand and season both sides with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.

Step 5: Put the 3 tbsp plain flour, 1 egg and 2 ⅛ oz panko breadcrumbs in three shallow dishes. Coat each chop in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in egg and press firmly into the panko on both sides.

Step 6: Heat the 3 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying in a deep pan to 350°F (a breadcrumb should sizzle steadily and rise straight away). Never fill the pan more than a third full.

Step 7: Lower in the cutlets one or two at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the centre reaches 145°F/145 °F. Keep the oil between 160 and 350°F.

Step 8: Drain on a rack for 3 minutes; the pork finishes cooking as it rests and the crust stays crisp.

Step 9: Slice each cutlet into 2 cm strips and lay it on the cabbage, with 14 oz hot cooked Japanese rice alongside. Spoon the hot miso sauce over the top. Common mistake: pouring the sauce over long before serving. The crust goes soggy within minutes, so sauce it at the table if you can.

Step 10: Serve with a little 1 tsp Japanese hot mustard (karashi) on the side, if you like.