Hokkaido soup curry

Name: Hokkaido soup curry
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 carrots, peeled and quartered; 1 ear of corn, cut into thick rings; 1 eggplant, cut into thick wedges lengthways; 1 green capsicum, cut into 5cm strips; 2 king oyster mushrooms, halved lengthways (or quartered if very thick); 4 tbsp vegetable oil, or olive oil; 4 chicken marylands, skin removed; 1 tsp flake salt; 1 brown onion, grated; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tbsp grated ginger; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tsp garam marsala; 1 cinnamon stick; ½ cup tomato passata; 1 bay leaf; 1.5 litres water or chicken stock; 1 tbsp each sake, soy sauce and mirin; ½ cup loosely packed basil leaves, roughly torn; 2 hard-boiled eggs, to serve

Adam Liaw

May 19, 2015

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

Curry came to Japan via tins of English vindaloo, and today on the mainland it's made like a French-style veloute from a roux and stock. Enterprising chefs from the northern island of Hokkaido, however, have come up with their own version designed to show off the region's excellent vegetables.

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 ear of corn, cut into thick rings
1 eggplant, cut into thick wedges lengthways
1 green capsicum, cut into 5cm strips
2 king oyster mushrooms, halved lengthways (or quartered if very thick)
4 tbsp vegetable oil, or olive oil
4 chicken marylands, skin removed
1 tsp flake salt
1 brown onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garam marsala
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup tomato passata
1 bay leaf
1.5 litres water or chicken stock
1 tbsp each sake, soy sauce and mirin
½ cup loosely packed basil leaves, roughly torn
2 hard-boiled eggs, to serve

Method

Step 1
Heat your oven to 190C (fan forced). Toss the vegetables in two tablespoons of the oil and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Scatter with salt and bake the vegetables uncovered for 25-30 minutes until they are roasted and tender.
Step 2
Season the chicken marylands with salt and brown, two at a time, in a little oil in a large pot and set them aside. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pot and fry for about two minutes until softened (add a little more oil if you need to). Add the spices, tomato passata and bay leaf and fry for a further minute until fragrant. Add the water or stock, sake, soy sauce and mirin and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Stir through the basil leaves.
Step 3
Place one chicken maryland in each bowl and add the roasted vegetables and half an egg.
Step 4
Pour over the curry soup and serve with thick-sliced, buttered bread or steamed rice.