Miso Cream Chicken and Shiitake Vol-au-vent (Belgian × Japanese)

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces. Grate the ginger finely and toss it with the chicken and sake in a bowl. Leave for 10 min while you slice the shiitake 5 mm thick (discard the tough stems) and drain the corn.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 gCooking sake 1 tbspFresh ginger 10 g

2. Melt a third of the butter in a 24 cm frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chicken in one layer and cook for 6 min, turning once, until browned and white all the way through. Add the shiitake and corn and cook for 3 min more, until the mushrooms soften and smell nutty. Take the pan off the heat.

   Add in this stepButter 12 gFresh shiitake mushrooms 120 gSweet corn kernels 60 g

   medium-high heat

3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Set the pastry shells and lids on a tray and warm them for 6 min, until crisp.

   Add in this stepReady-made puff-pastry vol-au-vent shells 4

   oven

4. Meanwhile melt the rest of the butter in a pot on medium heat, add the flour and whisk for 2 min without letting it brown. Stir the dashi powder into the water, then whisk the milk and dashi water into the roux a little at a time until smooth. Lower to low heat and simmer for 5 min, stirring, until it coats a spoon thickly.

   Add in this stepButter 28 gPlain flour 32 gWhole milk 280 mlWater 180 mlInstant dashi powder 1 tsp

   medium heat→low heat

5. Put the miso in a small bowl, stir in a ladle of the sauce until smooth, then stir it back into the pot with the mirin. Add the chicken, mushrooms and corn and heat on low heat for 2 min; keep it just below the boil so the miso stays fragrant. Miso is salty, so taste before adding any salt.

   Add in this stepWhite miso 1½ tbspMirin 1 tsp

   low heat

6. Fill the warm shells generously. Slice the spring onions thinly and scatter them over with the sesame seeds and a little shichimi to taste. Put the lids on and serve at once.

   Add in this stepSpring onions 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tspShichimi togarashi to taste