Authentic Japanese Cooking: Autumn Fritters with Beets and Chicken

Dining with the Chef!

Hi everyone and welcome to Dining with the Chef.

I'm your host, Yu Hayami.

And here is our wonderful Chef Saito.

Hello, Yu.

Hello everyone.

So, Chef, what are you going to teach us today?

Huh, today we use rare vegetables.

- Rare?
- For "washoku" rare.

Oh, so you mean vegetables that aren't usually found in Japanese dishes?

Yes, deep red beets.

- Beets.
- Yeah.

So, beets are very well known in salads or borsht soup but you are right I really don't see them in Japanese dishes.

Huh, but the red beets color is very beautiful.

Let's use the red because autumn deep fry the beets.

Nice! Deep fried.

And what else are we making?

"Iri-miso" with celery.

Ah, OK, iri-miso is traditional Japanese recipe made by stir-fry ingredients together with miso.

So delicious with rice.

Well, sounds good, shall we?

Yes, let's get started.

Japan is known for its bountiful fresh and delicious ingredients.

It's just amazing.

Japanese cuisine, guided by traditional culture that you will be able to prepare at home.

Perfect.

Today, two recipes, featuring beets and celery, in Japanese cuisine.

Let's join Yu Hayami and become Chef Saito's chef apprentices.

Here's our Master Chef, Mr. Tatsuo Saito!

What fun does the chef have for us today?

Authentic Japanese Cooking.

OK, here's what's cooking today.

Autumn Fritters, with bright red beets, typically used in borscht and salads.

Combined with light chicken tenders, they make for a great snack.

It's one of Chef Saito's original dishes, evocative of a mountain aglow with red maple leaves.

OK, so first, we need to prepare the beets.

These days we can find beets in some Japanese supermarkets, but we rarely see them in Japanese dishes.

So, is this your original recipe?

Yes, it is.

I wanted to create a dish that's
evocative of autumn.

Oh, I know it's so nice.

I'm using beets because they're
the color of the maple leaves.

They're also sweet and fluffy.

I like to look around for
new ingredients to use.

It's true beets have a gorgeous red color.

So today we are going to use that to represent the red which is a sort of the color of autumn here in Japan.

Because of the leaves.

Yes.

So, let's create an autumn landscape, using red beets.

Peel the beets and cut into 3 to 4 cm long strips.

Cut into 4 to 5 mm slices, to give them a nice crunch.

Rinse in water to tone down the red.

OK.

Wow, it's so red.

- It's staining the water.
- Right.

Drain and pat dry, with paper towels.

OK, Chef, what's the next step?

Next, cut the chicken.

Chicken.

Chef Saito doesn't want to make it heavy, so he's using low fat chicken tenders.

Remove any tendons, that are still attached, and cut diagonally into thin strips to match the beets.

He's also using parsley to represent the green leaves that are part of an autumn tapestry.

Tear the parsley into bite size pieces.

So, parsley is pretty commonly used in cooking but you rarely see in Japanese dishes.

Yes, so, many unique ideas today, so deep fry parsley is very good too.

I wanted to create a colorful palette
just like the mountains in autumn.

Wonderful. You know, representing things like that is very characteristic of Japanese cooking.

Right, we made many recipe like that.

The grated and steamed turnip dish
represented snow.

- Yes, I remember.
- Remember?

We also deep-fried a flatfish
to look like a boat.

We sliced octopus into jagged slices
to look like ripples.

Then there was the "somen" aspic
evocative of a clear stream.

That's true.

- You have to have a seasonal element.
- Right.

It's a thoughtful sign of consideration for the people who will be eating the meal.

Yes.

- So next, let's make the batter.
- OK.

Here is a Chef's Tip!

Use egg yolks to make a golden batter.

Add cold water and flour to the egg yolk.

To make the fritters look like leaves,
we need a sticky batter.

Mix, mix, mix.

To form gluten.

Ah, yes.

So you mix well in order to do that. Got it. OK.

The batter should act like a veil.

Otherwise, the beets will overwhelm
the fritters and turn them red.

So, we want a slightly thick batter.
OK, batter is done.

Look at that attractive color.

One more step and we're ready to start frying.

Add the beets to a bowl.

And chicken.

Dust flour.

It acts like glue.

It helps to bind everything together.

Mix well with chopsticks to coat the ingredients evenly with flour.

- Add the batter.
- Interesting.

That is such an interesting combination.

- I've never seen beets and chicken like that.
- Really?

This color combination
is very important today.

When making fritters you need to
think of what you want to emphasize.

Taste is important, but today,
the key is color.

So, I want to incorporate the beets
and chicken into the batter.

We want to keep the bright green of the parsley.

So, we'll be frying them separately without batter.

Then deep fry.

- OK.
- Quickly.

- Quickly.
- Quickly.

Otherwise, the red juice of the beets
will seep out. So, be quick.

- OK?
- Got it.

Fill a wide-open pot with oil, and heat to 170 degrees Celsius.

Use a spoon to scoop up the batter.

Root vegetables like beets take time to cook through, so fry slowly, over low heat.

Place equal amounts of chicken and beets on a spoon, and slide the batter into oil.

The fritters can be random in size
and shape, just like nature.

But think of the color balance as you add
both chicken and beets.

Slide into the oil.

Make sure the ingredients are integrated before gently sliding into the oil.

I see why you need it batter to be thick with gluten.

Otherwise, it'll fall apart and
the colors will seep out.

Avoid poking the fritters before they firm up.

This will take about a minute.

At this point it's OK
to move them around.

The batter is thick,
so they'll hold together.

Turn over occasionally, so that they fry up, evenly.

See?

Beautiful red.

Red, just yellow.

Ah, the colors are beautiful.

I'm fascinated by all the unusual
vegetables available at supermarkets.

I try them out to see if I can
incorporate them.

It's fun to make use of new ingredients
in Japanese cuisine.

It takes about three minutes for the fritters to cook through.

You have various shapes and colors.

OK.

Beets, chicken, OK.

So, look so fun.

Yes.

So, next, deep fry the parsley.

Fry the parsley, without batter.

Fry until the sizzling stops.
No sound, it's OK.

So, we deep fry the until the sound is quiet.

Quiet.

Wow, look at the color.

It's really pretty.

Sprinkle with salt while still hot.

No other seasonings are needed.

Just salt, just salt, OK.

Wow, it's perfect.

- OK, Chef. Now my turn to try.
- Yes, please.

OK, so first I'm going to mix the ingredients; the red beets, the chicken filet.

Dust evenly with flour to bind the ingredients with the batter.

All right, of course I'm going to mix them well so that each ingredient is coated.

- Use the spatula and chopsticks.
- Oh yes, using the spatula.

- That's easier.
- Oh yes, Chef, thank you.

To bring out the pretty color,
it's important to coat with flour.

OK, and then we are going to add the batter.

With just the egg yolk.

Such an attractive contrast of red and yellow!

Incorporate the ingredients into the batter.

Oh, it's gonna be so good.

- OK.
- OK, I think I'm ready to deep fry.

- Yes.
- Yey!

I put the ingredients on the spoon randomly, chicken and beets, and I slowly roll it.

Slowly.

Yeah.

Imagine a mountain, a-glow with autumn leaves, as you scoop up the batter.

Chef Saito is watching closely.

How's she doing?

OK, enough.

A beautiful arrangement of
chicken and beets.

- You are an artist.
- Huh, thank you.

No dish is the same.

Right.

Food is like art.
No two dishes are the same.

You eat them, and they're gone.

So fleeting!

Food nurtures body and soul.

Oh, look at that.

That looks yummy.

- Oh, look at the red.
- Very good.

Wow.

Do you like beets?

I love beets.

I imagine that it will be very good kind of, it has that like potato texture.

Tender and mellow sweet.
Right, yes.

Almost done, yeah.

Drain thoroughly.

You don't want them to be brown too much, more like yellow.

Like an autumn mountain.

It's true.

A dazzling array of colors.

Yes, great season for hiking.

Hiking, oh yeah.

OK.

Then next, parsley.

All right, here we go.

Bubble? Still bubble not yet.

- Not yet, so we have to wait until the bubbles are gone.
- Right.

Fry for about two minutes until the bubbling and sizzling has stopped.

So, it's done.

That's a nice color.

OK, and then I add salt.

- Yes, looks good.
- Yey, and it's done.

- OK.
- Wow, Chef, thank you so much for teaching me.

You are a perfect good student.

Yey. Let's arrange to serve.

Think about the beautiful mountain in Autumn.

OK, so arrange it to be reminiscent of the autumn leaves on the mountain.

All right, let's go.

We're going to use "tenshi."

Tenshi or tempura paper, is specially processed, to absorb excess oil.

The square paper is folded to fit the shape of the serving plate.

- We line the plate with this paper.
- Right.

It absorbs the excess oil.

Think about color balance when plating.

Wow, the beets are so pretty.

Garnish with lemon, cut as you like, and squeeze over the fritters before eating.

And then lemon, OK.

Ah, that's so pretty.

- You too.
- Thank you.

Very nice, Yu. Great color balance!

Let's see how the Chef does it.

He forms a little mound and places the parsley randomly, to create a natural looking landscape.

Finished.

Finish.

And now for another dish with celery.

The strong fragrance is perfect for stir-frying with miso, and goes very well with rice.

Celery was brought to Japan from western Europe, and it's now a very popular vegetable in Japanese home cooking as well.

Yeah, celery "asazuke."

- Yes.
- Very good.

So good, but of course compare to the other vegetables that are used in Japanese dishes, it has quite strong aroma, right?

Yes, very strong aroma.

So, would it work with miso?

Yeah, miso, it's good.

This time we are going to be using iri-miso, right?

Ah, which is stir fried miso.

- Yes.
- With celery.

OK, shall we get started?

Yes.

Let's prep the celery.

Cut the stalks into 3 to 4 cm length and then into 5 mm matchsticks.

Make the matchsticks thick.

Celery contains a lot of water,
so it shrinks when cooked.

When stir-fried with miso, the celery releases water and shrinks, so the sticks shouldn't be too thin.

OK.

What's next?

So, mix the celery and miso and stir-fry.

So, there are many different types of miso, but what kind of miso are we using today?

Barley miso.

There are basically three types of miso:
rice, barley, and soybean.

They're popular in different regions.
Barley miso is common in southern Japan.

It has a slight hint of roasted barley
and is very tasty.

Pour the sesame oil into a pan.

Sesame aroma, I love that. It just makes me hungry.

Place over medium heat, and stir-fry the celery.

Once the celery is evenly coated, add the miso.

Break up the miso.

Break up the miso and add the sugar.

- You need lots of sugar.
- OK.

It acts as a preservative.

Miso and sugar burn easily.

- Be careful.
- OK.

It's coming together.

The sugar induces the release
of the moisture.

Water is released from the celery through osmosis, allowing the flavors to seep in.

Stir-frying, burns off the excess moisture, so it'll keep in the fridge, for about a week.

Wow, it smells so good.

I would like to come home to these smells.

Smells so nice.

Dishes like this will keep, so people
used to make a lot to help save time.

My grandmother and mother did that a lot.

Miso goes well with everything.
It's so versatile.

Chef Saito continues to stir while talking.

You need to keep on stirring to burn off the excess moisture, without burning the miso.

After four minutes.

You've burned off enough water
to leave a streak.

Once the celery and miso have become integrated, it's done.

OK, it's done.

Spread out on a tray to release the vapor
so that it'll keep longer.

Let it cool to room temperature.

- And one last trick.
- Yes.

Roll in "nori."

Wrap the stir-fried miso and celery, in nori, along with julienned carrots and rice to form a roll.

Nori sheets, are made of shredded and dried, edible seaweed and are commonly used to make sushi rolls.

They're crisp and dry, so you should be able to cut them in half just by folding.

The carrot will add texture and color.

Cut into 4 to 5 cm lengths and then into 2 mm square sticks.

Serve with rice and wrap when you're ready to take a bite.

Now, let's plate the food.

- First, the celery miso.
- Huh, that looks so good.

That would be perfect in "bento" too.

- Yeah, bento too.
- Yes.

And carrots.

Shredded carrots yum, actually julienne carrots.

And nori.

Nori.

And finished.

Both dishes are now ready to serve.

They look so delicious. I bet they are.

Chef, this is such a beautiful presentation. Very festive.

Thank you.

Fried beets and chicken remind me of a beautiful autumn mountain with the red leaves.

This is so pretty.

OK. I'm going to have a little bit of Autumn Mountain.

That is wonderful.

The chicken fillet is very soft, but the beets, very crunchy, and the flavor is very simple and yet refreshing, and the parsley adds a little bit of crunch to it.

- This is really nice, Chef.
- Thank you.

How did you like making it?

- Oh, cooking the beets?
- Yeah.

I thought it was really interesting today, because while I was making a meal, I knew that I had to be conscious of representing.

The season of autumn in a dish.

So, it felt very artistic.

OK. How the beats?

Beats are really good.

You know, when you have it with the chicken, you can't really taste the presence of the beats.

But when you just eat the beats, very sweet.

Very sweet.

OK.

All right. So, I'm going to try the celery Iri-miso.

How do we eat this? Can you show us?

Place a sheet of nori on your palm, top with rice, celery miso and carrots, and roll it up.

OK.

Like this.

Look at that. So pretty.

- So pretty.
- Yes.

Oh. This is a winner.

It's a winner. You like it?

You know, we added quite a lot of sugar, I think, but it doesn't taste sweet at all.

It just really makes the flavor of the miso very well balanced.

And the celery, Chef, I love how you use the celery because it has that celery aroma.

Aroma.

And it goes really well with the sesame oil.

As soon as you bite into it, it just goes "howaan."

It's howaan.

In your mouth, oh, this is wonderful.

And with the crunchy carrots, really nice balance.

So today, Chef, you introduced us to... different types of dishes that use not very typical Japanese vegetables.

- Yeah.
- Like beets, celery.

But I have to say, you've incorporated them so well in the Japanese type of cooking.

Japan has a huge variety
of Western vegetables.

Celery combined with miso makes for
a perfect Japanese dish.

With a little imagination, they can
help to expand your repertoire.

There's no end to what
you can do with miso.

So, be adventurous!

Well, thank you so much, Chef, for teaching us today. Everything is really delicious.

I think you should have some.

- OK. Thank you.
- Yes.

Let's do a quick review of today's dishes.

First, the Autumn Fritters with Beets and Chicken.

Peel the beets, cut into 3 to 4 cm long rectangular strips, and rinse.

Cut the chicken tenders to match the beets.

Whisk egg yolk, cold water, and flour to prepare the batter.

Dust the ingredients with flour and, coat with batter.

Slowly, deep-fry, at 170 degrees Celsius.

Fry the parsley without batter.

Sprinkle with salt, while hot, and garnish with lemon to serve.

Next, the Stir-fried Miso and Celery.

Cut the celery into thick matchstick shapes and stir-fry in sesame oil.

Add the miso and sugar and continue stirring overheat to burn off any excess moisture.

That's it, you are done.

Have fun making Japanese food using whatever vegetables are around, healthy and tasty!