Japanese Cream Stew
- Kurumi Hayter
- Oct 16
- 3 min read
This recipe is full of memories for me. It was something of a treat in my childhood as during the 1960s (yes, I am that old!) creamy chicken dishes were still a rarity in Japan. My mother used to tell me a story of when she was first married and my father, a man from the countryside of Japan. One day soon after their marraige, she made this dish for their dinner. My father was aghast - he had never eaten a creamy stew dish before and wasn't sure if he could eat it! I can understand this - Japanese cream stew is a dish that was invented in Japan soon after the end of the Second World War. It's said that it was the introduction of milk powder by the American armed forces to combat malnourishment in Japanese children that was the start of this recipe. The milk powder was used to create the creamy white sauce that is the keynote of this dish - it doesn't actually contain cream. Japanese Cream Stew is easy to make - no need to make a separate bechamel sauce - and it's quite quick - you can make it in under 20 minutes. Even better, you don't need any special ingredients to make this dish. What's not to like!
In Japan, you would serve this dish with bowls of freshly steamed Japanese rice. But, it goes equally well with some fresh, crusty French bread - I leave that choice to you!
If you'd like to try this dish, just click Japanese Cream Stew for the Youtube tutorial or scroll to the end of the page. The written recipe is just below.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
Ingredients:
Makes 2 servings:
120g / 4oz peeled carrot
3 medium button mushrooms
1 large peeled potato (about 250g / 9oz)
1 peeled medium onion
3 florets of broccoli
2 boneless chicken thighs (250g / 9oz)
100ml / 3.4floz white wine
150ml / 5floz water
salt and pepper
1/2 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp vegetable oil
200ml / 7 fl oz milk
3 tbsp plain flour
30g / 1 oz butter
How to:
First prepare the vegetables. Slice the carrot into bite size pieces.
Remove the bottom stem from the mushrooms and cut them in half.
Cut the potato into medium bite size pieces.
Cut the onion into bite size pieces.
Cut each broccoli floret in half.
Lay out the chicken thighs and cut them into bite size pieces.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small or medium casserole. Add the chicken and fry until the flesh has slightly coloured.
Add the carrots, potatoes, onion and mushrooms to the casserole. Stir well.
Next, add the white wine. Sprinkle generously with black pepper and sal. Add the water and the half chicken cube stock. Bring everything to the boil and simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes or until the potato has softened.
Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a small pan. Add a little salt, then add the broccoli. Simmer for 3 mintes before draining and setting aside.
Next, combine the milk and the plain flour in a jug. Give the milk a quick whisk to bring up any lumps. Set aside.
Add the butter to the stew and stir a little until the butter is melted.
Then, add the milk mixture and flour to the stew. Stir and cook for about a further 5 minutes. Make sure there are no floury lumps.
Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
Add the cooked broccoli and simmer for 1 minute. Serve immediately. You can pair your Japanese Cream stew with a bowl of Japanese rice or some fresh French bread.
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