Chicken meatballs Japanese Izakaya style

 

 Ingredients 

400g ground chicken, 1/4 onion, 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon potato starch, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger, 1/2 tablespoon sake, salt and pepper to taste, and salad oil to taste. The "sauce" is 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons sake, and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Directions

1. Finely chop the onion, place it in a heat-resistant container, cover it with plastic wrap, and microwave for 1 minute at 600W. Spread the cooked onion out in the container and let it cool.

2. Place the ground chicken and sugar in a bowl and knead until the sugar is evenly distributed. Sugar has moisture-retaining properties, which helps make the meatballs softer. After kneading the sugar in, add the salt and pepper and knead again. Add the breadcrumbs, soy sauce, potato starch, mayonnaise, and grated ginger and knead again. The mayonnaise will make the mixture fluffier.

3. Once the onion has cooled, add it to the minced meat and mix lightly. You can also mix in shiso leaves and green onions at this point. Once mixed, divide the meat mixture into 8 equal parts.

4. Take two bamboo skewers and coat your hands lightly with salad oil. Take one piece of meat mixture and press out the air to form it into a ball. Place the two skewers around the meat mixture and wrap the meat mixture around the skewers to form it again.

5. Put the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar into a container and mix until the crunchy texture of the sugar disappears.

6. Add salad oil to a frying pan, distribute it evenly, and heat over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Arrange the meatballs in a frying pan and cook for about 1.5 minutes until golden brown. Once golden brown, flip them over and cook the other side. Once you've checked to see if they've browned, reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover and steam for 3 minutes.

 7. After steaming, flip them over once, reduce the heat to medium and add the combined seasonings. Continue to simmer, turning the meatballs over, until the sauce thickens and no longer drips when placed on the meatballs, and they're done. Optionally, garnish with an egg yolk for a more authentic look.