Niku – Dango no Amakara – no

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 250 g minced meat, mixed
• 2 spring onions
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 liter of oil for frying
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp wine (Mirin, sweet rice wine)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Japanese salty-sweet meat balls

Peel and finely grate the carrot. Trim the spring onion and slice into thin rings. In a bowl, knead the ground meat, spring onions, carrot, egg, sake, 1 tablespoon of potato starch, and salt thoroughly. Then form them into 15 meatballs. Heat the oil in a pan to 180°C. Fry the balls in batches for about 3-4 minutes each, until nicely browned. Up to three can be added to the oil at a time (no more, as otherwise it will cool down too much). Turn them over occasionally to ensure they cook evenly. Place the finished balls on a kitchen towel and let any excess fat drain off. For the sauce, mix 3 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of potato starch and set aside. Then, in a pan, mix 100 ml of water with the sugar, soy sauce, sake, and mirin until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the potato starch and water mixture to the pan and stir well. Once the liquid has thickened slightly, add the balls one at a time and toss them in the sauce until the glaze reaches the desired thickness. Then thread three balls onto a bamboo skewer and serve with the sauce.