Japanese meat balls

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 12

Japanese meat balls

Alison Holst’s

Food Facts

Just before Sharon Crosbie set off for North America this time last year, she and I were invited to a Japanese dinner. We found these meat balls so delicious 1 asked for the recipe. Our host kindly took me out to the kitchen, and made another batch of meat balls on the spot. Here is the recipe, in case you feel like trying something a little different. The texture of these meat balls is much smoother than that of the meat balls I usually make. I like to serve them in the cooking broth in small, individual bowls. On a larger flat plate, in front of each diner, the rice may be spooned, with other salads, or cooked vegetables, alongside. For three to four servings you need: 500 g minced beef 2 eggs 2 tablespoons cornflour 2 tablespoons cold water 2 cups water 2 teaspoons instant chicken stock

1 teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce 1 tablespoon oil Mix the good quality, fairly lean, minced beef with the two (previously unbeaten) eggs in a moderate sized bowl. Mix the cornflour and cold water together, and add to the beef and egg mixture. Leave to stand while you combine the remaining ingredients in a large frying pan with a lid. Bring these liquids to the boil. Shape meat balls about

golf ball size, using two wet dessert spoons. If the mixture is very soft, add up to another two teaspoons of cornflour, mixed with a little extra cold water. Drop the soft meat balls carefully into the simmering broth. Cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. While the meat balls cook, chop 2 to 3 spring onions (both the white and the green leaves) and after 8 or 9 minutes, sprinkle these over the meat balls and into the broth. Serve with, rice which has

been cooked with instant chicken stock for flavouring. Heat 25g butter in a heavybottomed frying pan, or pot with a tight-fitting lid (a non-stick finish is an advantage). Add 1 cup of long grain rice, and stir to coat with the butter over moderate heat. Add 2% cups hot water and 2 teaspoons instant chicken stock. Cover tightly, putting a piece of foil under the lid if it is loose, adjust heat so liquid simmers quietly, and leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice grains are tender and the liquid has disappeared. Turn off heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Do not stir during cooking. This is not a Japanese method of cooking rice, but it goes well with the meat balls. So does a salad of raw sliced mushrooms in lemon juice, oil, soy sauce and lots of chopped parsley, or hot peas. Note: Use level standard metric cup and spoon measures.