Chicken Breast and Yam with Ume Oroshi
Tender poached chicken breast tossed with crunchy yam, okra, and fragrant shiso, all coated in a refreshing ume and grated daikon sauce. A light yet deeply satisfying dish perfect for summer.
If you are looking for a dish that feels both refreshing and satisfying, this one is hard to beat. The combination of juicy chicken breast, crunchy yam, and sticky okra creates a layered texture that keeps every bite interesting.
The real highlight is the ume oroshi sauce. The tartness of umeboshi and the cool freshness of grated daikon cut through the richness of sesame oil, making it incredibly easy to keep eating. It works beautifully as an appetizer, a side dish, or even a light meal with rice.
What you'll need
- 200 g chicken breast
- 2 tbsp cooking sake
- 300 g Japanese yam
- 3 umeboshi
- 5 okra
- 5 shiso leaves
- 1/4 daikon radish (about 250 g)
- 1 tbsp shiro dashi
- 1 tbsp mentsuyu
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp chicken stock powder
How to make it
Remove the skin from the chicken breast, poke both sides with a fork, slice thinly, then cut into strips. Bring 1 liter of water and cooking sake to a boil, add the chicken, boil for 10 seconds, turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain and cool in cold water.
Cut the yam into thin strips. Finely chop the umeboshi, slice the okra, microwave it for 30 seconds, finely chop the shiso, and grate the daikon.
In a bowl, combine the grated daikon, umeboshi, shiro dashi, and mentsuyu to make the sauce.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, yam, okra, and shiso with sesame oil and chicken stock powder until slightly sticky. Add the ume oroshi sauce and mix everything together. Chill before serving.
Tips
- Use the residual heat method for the chicken to keep it extra moist and tender.
- Mix the yam and seasonings well before adding the ume sauce for better flavor absorption.
- Adjust the final seasoning with extra mentsuyu if you want a sharper finish.