Layered Chicken and Chinese Cabbage (Hakata-style Simmered Cabbage)
Layered Chicken and Chinese Cabbage is a visually attractive dish. Chinese cabbage, chicken mince (ground chicken) and aburaage are layered alternatively to make a stripy pattern, then simmered in flavoured broth.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 5 large Chinese cabbage leaves ((note 1))
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 aburaage ((thin deep-fried tofu))
- 5 x 40cm/1ft4" butcher's twine
- 30g/1.1oz carrot (, thinly sliced)
- 1 tbsp corn flour/corn starch mixed in 1½ tbsp water
- A pinch of salt ((note 2))
- ½ tsp ginger juice ((optional))
- 200g/0.4lb chicken mince ((note 3))
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp cornflour/corn starch
- 850ml/1.8pt dashi stock (, hot (note 4))
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1
Boil Chinese leaves in a pot with 2 teaspoons of salt until the thick stems soften (about 5 minutes). When cooked, drain water and cool them down.
- 2
Soak aburaage in boiled water (you can use the boiling water in step 1) for 5 seconds to remove excess oil. Take them out of the hot water and squeeze out excess water. Leave them to cool down.
- 3
Add the Chicken Mixture ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Divide the chicken mixture into 4 equal portions.
- 4
Trim the root end of Chinese cabbage leaves to make it straight, then cut the white part of each leaf to the length of the aburaage (lengthwise). Fold the tip of the other portion of the cabbage leaf to make it the same length as the white part.
- 5
Place two pieces of one leaf on a cutting board overlapping each other to make the same rectangular shape as the aburaage.
- 6
Spread ¼ of the chicken mixture thinly and evenly over the cabbage, then place a piece of aburaage on top of it.
- 7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 four times to make layers, placing the cabbage sheet on top of the aburaage (note 5). The layer will end with an aburaage at the top.
- 8
Make the last Chinese cabbage leaf the size of an aburaage in the same way and place it at the top (note 5). Tie the layered block with butcher's twine in 5 places to secure.
- 9
Place the sliced carrots in a pot which is deeper than the height of the layered block, carefully place the block on the carrots.
- 10
Add the Broth ingredients to the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Place a drop lid (note 6), then a lid on and cook for 25 minutes. If liquid evaporates too fast, add some water.
- 11
Take out the block from the pot, remove the strings and cut it into 4 equal pieces (note 7). Place each piece on a plate or in a shallow bowl showing the cut side up.
- 12
Transfer the broth to a small pot. You should have about 150ml/5.1oz of broth left in the pot. If not enough, add water. If too much, condense.
- 13
Add corn flour with water to the sauce to make it thicker. Pour the sauce over the blocks with a couple of drops of ginger juice if using.