About the Recipe
OK, so this is Mille Feuille but not as you know it. The Mille Feuille name comes from the way the chicken and cabbage leaves in the dish are layered in a way that resembles the wafer layers of mille feuille pastry. The name aside, this is a deliciously different Japanese hotpot.
Ingredients
for the sesame sauce:
4 tbsp sesame paste
1 heap tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 thin slices carrot
3 fresh shiitake mushroom
5 thin slices lime
1cm / 0.5 inch piece of fresh ginger
12cm /4.5 inch of leek
2 boneless chicken breasts
12 large chinese cabbage leaves
for the stock:
700ml/25floz boiled hot water
1 heap tbsp Japanese dashi granules
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
Preparation
first, prepare the sesame sauce - combine the sesame paste, sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well - now, just set aside
next, for the contents of the hot pot - put the three thin slices of carrot on chopping board and use a small cookie cutter shape to cut the slices into decorative shapes. (you can dispense with this step if you're not bothered about the visual effect of the dish
next, remove the stalks of 3 the shiitake mushrooms . use a sharp kitchen knife to cut star shapes into the tops of the mushrooms. (as above, you don't need to do this unless you want a decorative effect)
cut the lime into 5 thin slices, removing the top and tail
peel the piece of ginger, slice thinly and then cut into shreds
cut the leek in half lengthways, then set the two pieces on their ends and slice into two more pieces, then cut the pieces into large matchsticks
lay each chicken breast onto a chopping board and cut horizontally into very thin slices
rinse the Chinese cabbage leaves. divide the leaves into piles of 3 leaves each. lay the slices of chicken over one leaf and then place the next leaf over the the chicken. lay more slices of chicken over the second leaf and then place another leaf on top
repeat with the rest of the chicken and cabbage leaves
next, cut the cabbage leaves & chicken into pieces. (if the leaves are small, you may need to adjust by cutting them into 3 parts instead of 4 - the aim is to cut the leaves to fit into a casserole or shallow pan)
fill your casserole by placing the layered Chinese cabbages leaves and chicken layers around the edge, working your way towards the centre of the casserole. when you have used all the leaves, pack the leek matchsticks into the centre
place the sliced carrot, shiitake mushrooms and lime slices on the top to create a colourful garnish
next, to make a simple Japanese stock - add the dashi granules, salt, soy sauce and hot water to a jug and mix well. pour the stock over the cabbage and leak. (you may need to add more water to the casserole depending on its size - the aim is to have the casserole about 75% full of stock)
bring the casserole to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
serve with a bowl of rice and the sesame sauce.