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Tōge no kamameshi
Tōge no kamameshi (峠の釜めし): Gunma pot rice with chicken, shiitake, bamboo shoot and chestnut
JapaneseAt Yokokawa Station in Gunma, at the foot of the Usui Pass, travellers have bought tōge no kamameshi since 1958: a little clay pot of rice cooked in soy-seasoned dashi and crowded with chicken, shiitake, bamboo shoot, burdock, a sweet chestnut, a dried apricot and a quail egg. It tastes just as good at room temperature on a train. The seasoning includes mirin, a sweet rice wine that bubbles away as it cooks; for alcohol-free, use 1 tbsp sugar instead. The common mistake is lifting the lid while the rice cooks, which lets the steam out and leaves the grains hard. Chef's tip: simmer the chicken and mushrooms first and use that liquid to cook the rice, so every grain tastes of them.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz Japanese short-grain ricerinsed and drained for 30 minutes
- 1 ½ cups dashi
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- ¼ tsp salt
For the toppings
- 9 oz boneless chicken thighcut into small pieces
- 4 dried shiitakesoaked 30 minutes, halved
- 3 ½ oz cooked bamboo shootsliced
- 1 ¾ oz burdock root or carrotcut into fine matchsticks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup shiitake soaking water
- 8 quail eggsboiled and peeled
- 1 ¾ oz green peas or mangetoutblanched
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz boneless chicken thigh, 4 dried shiitake, 3 ½ oz cooked bamboo shoot, 1 ¾ oz burdock root or carrot, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar and ¾ cup shiitake soaking water in a pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the liquid has reduced by half. Lift the solids out and keep the liquid.
12 minStep 3: Put 10 ½ oz Japanese short-grain rice and the liquid in a heavy pot (or 4 small clay pots). Bring to the boil, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
18 minStep 4: Off the heat, quickly arrange the chicken mixture, 4 cooked peeled chestnuts, 4 dried apricots and 8 quail eggs on top, cover again and rest for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Scatter over 1 ¾ oz green peas or mangetout. Eat warm, or cool quickly, chill and eat within a day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tōge no kamameshi take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of japanese short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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