Country Potatoes with Chicken Sauce

Country Potatoes with Chicken Sauce (Sato Imo no Tori An Kaké)
The potatoes in this dish are cooked in a pan on their own at first, while ground
chicken is prepared in a separate skillet to make the sauce. The two are
combined before serving together. The dish is often garnished with finely
minced scallions.
If you like to make things in advance, it’s nice to know that these potatoes will
keep well, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days. Indeed, they taste better heated up for
the second time! Freezing the potatoes, though, is not recommended since
they loose their creamy texture. The sauce, on the other hand, freezes (and
defrosts) well … you may want to double the quantity so you have enough to
serve over other vegetables, too (this sauce works well with broth-simmered
kabocha squash or daikon radish, or skillet-seared eggplants).
Serves 4.
For making kombu dashi (kelp stock):
3 to 4-inch piece kombu (kelp) see glossary at the end of this recipe
2 and 1/2 cups tap water
For cooking the potatoes:
8 small sato imo (“country potatoes”) or taro potatoes, 12-14 ounces (about
400 grams), par-cooked, peeled; PREPPING instructions for doing this follow
this main recipe.
2 cups kombu dashi (kelp stock, from above)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 and 1/2 tablespoons regular soy sauce see glossary at the end of this recipe
For the chicken sauce:
1/2 lb (about 250 grams) ground chicken, preferably dark (thigh) meat
1/2 cup kombu dashi (kelp stock, from above)
1 tablespoon saké see glossary at the end of this recipe
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon regular soy sauce see glossary at the end of this recipe
For thickening the final sauce:
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Begin by making kombu dashi (kelp stock), a cold-water infusion in which no
heat is applied. Take one, 3 to 4-inch piece of kombu (kelp) and place it in a
quart-sized glass jar with 2 and 1/2 cups tap water. Let it sit at room
temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours. Set aside 1/2 cup of this
stock for making the chicken sauce. Use the remaining 2 cups for cooking the
potatoes. Set aside the kelp for cooking with the potatoes.
© 2013 Copyright. All rights reserved by Elizabeth Andoh.
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Fill a 2-quart pot with 2 cups kelp stock; include the kelp. Over medium heat
bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and add
the (pre-cooked) sato imo potatoes on top of the kelp. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes,
preferably using an otoshi-buta (dropped lid see glossary at the end of this recipe).
Skim away any clouds of “froth” that may appear. Add the sugar and cook for
another 2 minutes. Check on tenderness; a toothpick inserted in the center of a
potato chunk should meet no resistance (if need be, continue to simmer for
another few minutes).
Once the potatoes are tender, add the soy sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
Replace the dropped lid and let the potatoes cool in the pot. The potatoes will
absorb the sweetened soy flavor of the simmering broth best as they cool. The
potatoes are fully cooked and can be served with out meat sauce, if you prefer.
The kelp can be sliced into thin strips and served with the potatoes
To make the sauce, place the ground chicken in a skillet with 1/2 cup stock and
saké. BEFORE applying heat, use a spatula (or several long chopsticks) to
break up clusters of the ground chicken. Cook over medium heat, stirring to
keep the meat from clumping, until the chicken has turned white.
Add the sugar, and then the soy sauce, stirring after each addition to distribute
well. Add the (cooked) potatoes to the pan and heat through, allowing the
flavors to meld.
Remove the potatoes to individual serving bowls. Add a bit more water or kelp
stock to the skillet with the cooked chicken sauce; stir and place over low heat
for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch and water mixture. Turn the heat up to high to
thicken the sauce, stirring constantly. Spoon thickened sauce over the
potatoes, and garnish with chopped scallions if you wish.
© 2013 Copyright. All rights reserved by Elizabeth Andoh.
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REFERENCE SECTION
ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY of INGREDIENTS & EQUIPMENT:
Sato imo (“country potatoes”) Colocasia esculenta are also known as taro potatoes in
many markets. They boast a creamy texture and a low Glycemic Index (unlike other
potatoes with a high GI that cause peaks and crashes in blood-sugar readings). The
tubers are thought to have originated in eastern India and have traveled east to
Southeast Asia, China and Japan… and west to Egypt, West Africa and from there to
the Americas.
Sato imo are cultivated for their edible corms (tubers, or “potatoes”) and stalks (sold
sun-dried as zuiki). The plant, however, contains (toxic) calcium oxalate that must be
treated before consumption. Detox methods include steaming, par-boiling, and/or
soaking for at least 8 hours in an alum solution (yaki myōban sui ) made by
dissolving 1 teaspoon yaki myōban see image below, in 2 cups water).
[left & center] Hidaka kombu (kelp) for stock + [right] yaki myōban
left to right:
soy sauce
usukuchi shōyu (light-colored soy sauce)
saké (rice wine) this one is dry, or karakuchi
otoshi-buta dropped lid sits on the food, not the rim of the pot. Most have a flat surface
but some are ridged/rippled. These were designed to trap “froth” (what the Japanese
call aku) that can be rinsed off easily.
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Preparing sato imo for further cooking
If you want your potatoes to retain a neat hexagonal shape, you will need
to peel them before par-boiling or steaming them. Sato imo have a slick (some
might call it slippery, even slimy) surface texture when peeled before cooking
so care needs to be taken in handling them. Some people with sensitive skin
will find their fingers itchy (irritation caused by the calcium oxalate). Wearing
(thin, washable cotton) gardening gloves is one way to resolve the problem.
Other options include holding the potato with paper towels and/or frequently
dipping your hands in water to which vinegar has been added. If you want to
minimize the “slipperiness” of the potatoes in the final dish, rub them with salt
after peeling them.
Once you have peeled (and salt-rubbed) your
potatoes, par-cook them. You can steam them in a
steamer (about 6 or 7 minutes) or place them on a
heatproof plate, cover them with clear plastic wrap
and zap them in a microwave (at 2-minute intervals,
about 6 minutes, on high). You could also par-boil
them in plain water, togi-jiru (starchy water left after
washing rice) or an alum solution (myōban sui). If you
use starchy or alum water when boiling, rinse in cold
water before draining.
If softer, rounded edges to the potato pieces are acceptable, steam the
potatoes in their jackets and then peel them. With the tip of a sharp knife,
draw a line around the thickest part of each potato (this is often called
hachimaki because it resembles head bands; the one below says hisshi or
“really trying hard”). Steam them in a steamer (about 5 minutes) or place them
on a heatproof plate, cover them with clear plastic wrap and zap them in a
microwave (2 minutes on high). When cool enough to handle comfortably, peel
(try a slight twisting motion; skins often slip off).
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