Recipe
Easy Chicken & Summer Vegetable Italian Rice Bowl!
Ingredients
- Chickenthigh (cut slightly smaller than bite-sized) 200g
- Onion(large, cut into wedges) 1/2
- Eggplant(cut into wedges) 1
- Tomato(cut into wedges) 1
- Mentsuyu(3x concentrated) 8 tbsp
- Oliveoil 2 tbsp
- Potatostarch slurry to taste (approx. 6 tbsp)
- Sesameoil 1 tbsp
- Blackpepper to taste
- Water350ml
- Riceto taste
About "Chicken and Summer Vegetable Caponata Rice Bowl"
This Italian-style summer vegetable rice bowl features chicken thighs, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions sautéed in olive oil and simmered in a water and tsuyu (noodle soup base) mixture. The sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes blend beautifully with the tsuyu-based broth, creating a dish that is both Japanese and Western in flavor. Thickened with a potato starch slurry and finished with a drizzle of sesame oil for a rich aroma, it is delicious served over warm rice or even over soba noodles as an ankake (thickened sauce) soba dish.
Introduction to 桝谷のSimple is best →
Tips for Making "Chicken and Summer Vegetable Caponata Rice Bowl"
-
Prep
- Cut the chicken thigh slightly smaller than bite-sized. Cut the vegetables into uneven wedges to create a pleasant variety of textures.
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Seasoning
- Do not add any salt or pepper when sautéing. Salting will make the final dish too salty; rely on the mentsuyu to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.
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Heat & Sautéing
- Sauté over medium heat with a generous amount of olive oil (2 tbsp). Cook the chicken thoroughly until nicely browned before adding the tomatoes and water.
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Skimming
- Carefully skim off any foam that rises to the surface once boiling. Do not skip this step, as leaving impurities can cause bitterness and ruin the clean flavor.
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Seasoning
- When serving as a rice bowl, adjust the seasoning to be slightly stronger than typical soba broth. Use about 8 tbsp of 3x concentrated mentsuyu as a guide.
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Thickening
- Add the potato starch slurry gradually to adjust the thickness. Aim for a thicker consistency for rice, and a slightly looser one for soba.
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Finishing
- Drizzle in 1 tbsp of sesame oil just before turning off the heat to add a rich aroma.
Ingredients for "Chicken and Summer Vegetable Caponata Rice Bowl"
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How to Make "Chicken and Summer Vegetable Caponata Rice Bowl"
- 1
Cut the chicken thigh into pieces slightly smaller than bite-sized. Cut the onion, eggplant, and tomato into bite-sized wedges.
- 2
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan, add the chicken, onion, and eggplant, and sauté over medium heat. Do not add salt or pepper at this stage.
- 3
Once the chicken is lightly browned, add the tomato and pour in 350ml of water. Bring the entire mixture to a boil.
- 4
Once boiling, carefully skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
- 5
After skimming, add 8 tbsp of mentsuyu (3x concentrated) to season.
- 6
Gradually add the potato starch slurry, stirring until it reaches your desired thickness (make it a bit thicker if serving over rice).
- 7
Drizzle in 1 tbsp of sesame oil to finish, then turn off the heat.
- 8
Serve warm rice in a bowl, ladle a generous amount of the caponata over it, sprinkle with black pepper, and enjoy!
Detailed Commentary on "Chicken and Summer Vegetable Caponata Rice Bowl"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Greeting and a Secret Plan for a New Menu
Chef Shuichiro Masuya gives an energetic greeting, sharing that he is feeling much better after recovering from a hangover. The theme of today's talk is about a soba restaurant located on the second floor of the Nippon Budokan, produced by a major artist (Shuichi Ikemori from DEEN). Chef Masuya secretly has his eyes on this shop and is plotting to develop and propose a new menu item without permission. Named the 'Summer Vegetable Caponata Bowl,' he starts with a humorous chat about pitching this dish because soba shops rarely have rice bowl options.
Ingredients and the Special Soba Tsuyu
Today's ingredients are 1 tomato, 1 eggplant, 1/2 onion, and 200g of chicken thigh. The star of the seasoning is 'Ikemori Soba Tsuyu Premium.' Chef Masuya absolutely loves this tsuyu, using it for staff meals and even when he is not feeling well. However, there is only a tiny bit left in the bottle. They laugh about how the assistant, Kao-chan, faithfully followed instructions to 'save the last bit.' They decide to substitute the missing amount with standard 3x concentrated mentsuyu and prepare Chef Masuya's special olive oil.
Prepping Chicken and Sautéing in Olive Oil
First, they start by cutting the chicken thigh. The key is to cut it slightly smaller than bite-sized. Chef Masuya explains that he designs his recipes with a simple workflow so that part-time staff or local homemakers can easily prepare them, keeping kitchen efficiency in mind. The cut chicken is placed in a pan with a generous amount of his special olive oil (about 2 tbsp). No salt or pepper is added here. Adding salt would make the final dish too salty, so this step is skipped to let the natural flavors of the ingredients shine. He turns the heat to medium and begins sautéing.
Time-Saving Prep: Cutting and Adding Veggies
While the chicken is cooking, he quickly preps the vegetables. He roughly chops 1/2 of an onion and tosses it straight into the pan. Next, he rolls and cuts 1 eggplant into wedges. The eggplant is used with the skin on to minimize waste. Finally, he cuts 1 tomato into wedges. Sautéing while cutting ensures no time is wasted. Chef Masuya jokes, 'This is different from how Ono-kun does it,' while passionately explaining the importance of professional speed and workflow to keep customers from waiting.
Browning the Chicken and Simmering with Water
He sautés the chicken, onion, and eggplant together until the chicken gets a nice, appetizing sear. He notes that there is no need to cut everything perfectly even; having slight variations in size adds a nice contrast in texture. He also shares his 'part-timer first' philosophy, joking that overly strict rules will make part-time staff quit. Once browned, he adds the chopped tomatoes and pours in 350ml of water (just enough to submerge the ingredients) to bring everything to a boil.
Skimming Impurities and Seasoning with Tsuyu
Once the ingredients come to a boil, he carefully skims off the foam and impurities from the surface. While some say 'impurities hold flavor,' leaving them in can cause bitterness, so skimming is best for a clean, delicious taste. After skimming, he moves on to seasoning. He adds the remaining 3 tbsp of 'Ikemori Soba Tsuyu Premium' and 8 tbsp of 3x concentrated mentsuyu. Since this is a rice bowl dish, Chef Masuya's signature touch is to make the flavor slightly stronger than typical soba broth.
Thickening and Finishing with Sesame Oil
Once the flavor is set, he gradually adds the potato starch slurry (about 6 tbsp) to thicken the sauce. He recommends a slightly looser consistency if serving over soba, and a thicker one for rice. He was planning to add a secret ingredient but humorously skips it, saying, 'Not today, let's keep it a secret.' To finish, he drizzles in 1 tbsp of a special sesame oil crafted by Japanese chef Masahiro Kasahara, adding a rich aroma. He scoops warm rice into a bowl, ladles the hearty caponata over it, sprinkles black pepper, and it's done.
Tasting the Caponata Bowl and Future Plans
Staff members Kao-chan and Acchan taste the finished 'Summer Vegetable Caponata Bowl.' From the first bite, they rave, 'Delicious!' and 'The sweetness of the tomato is amazing!' While it has a Japanese mentsuyu base, the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes instantly transform it into a Western-style flavor. Because of its thick texture, they guarantee it would cling perfectly to soba noodles as an 'ankake soba' dish. Chef Masuya's ambitions grow as he talks about pitching this as a seasonal special, concluding the video by teasing that his 'protege' will appear next time.
About 桝谷のSimple is best
桝谷のSimple is best
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