Chicken Breast and Sour Plum Roll with Ponzu Sauce
Instructions:
- Pickled sour plums (umeboshi) are
one of the most popular condiments
in Japan and are commonly
eaten with rice for breakfast.
Their flavor is refreshingly sour
and salty yet fruity. They are
thought to be a remedy for an upset
stomach.
PONZU SAUCE
- One 3 x 2 1⁄2-inch [8x 6-cm] piece of dried konbu kelp
- 1 3⁄4 cups [420 mL] musk lime juice (or kalamansi lime), or 1 cup [240 mL] lime juice with 3⁄4 cup [180 mL] orange juice and 1 tablespoon [15 mL] grapefruit juice
- 1 3⁄4 cups [420 mL] dark soy sauce
- 1⁄3 cup [80 mL] mirin
- 1⁄4 cup [60 mL] tamari soy sauce
- 1 1⁄2 ounces [45 g] dried bonito flakes (about 4 cups [960 mL])
- CHICKEN ROLLS
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves (about 11⁄2 pounds [675 g]), pounded flat
- 4 to 6 sour plums (umeboshi), chopped, or 1 to 2 tablespoons
- [15 to 30 mL] sour plum paste
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] salt, or less to taste
- 16 shiso leaves
- 4 sheets of nori seaweed, about 6 _ 8 inches [15 _ 20 cm], toasted
- 3 tablespoons [45 mL] cornstarch blended with a little water to make a paste
- Cornstarch, for dusting
- Oil, for frying
- Citrus wedges, for service
- Sansho powder, for sprinkling (optional)
- A D V A N C E P R E PA R AT I O N
- For the ponzu sauce, toast the kelp over a flame or under a broiler. Place the toasted kelp in a bowl with all the other sauce ingredients. Store, refrigerated and covered, for 3 days.
- Strain through a sieve and reserve, refrigerated. (The sauce will keep for 1 year refrigerated.)
- P R E PA R AT I O N O F T H E C H I C K E N R O L L S
- Spread the pounded chicken breasts with the chopped sour plums or sour plum paste. Sprinkle with salt. Roll up jelly roll fashion, then wrap each roll with 4 shiso leaves, then nori. Seal the nori seam with the cornstarch paste.
- C O O K I N G M E T H O D
- Dust the rolls with cornstarch and fry in batches at 325°F [160°C] until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the nori wrapper to burn, or it will get bitter. Drain the rolls on paper towels and keep warm.
- SERVICE
- Slice each roll in half. Serve a half roll, sliced into medallions, per person, with ponzu sauce at room temperature and wedges of citrus fruit. Sprinkle the rolls with sansho powder just before service, if desired.