![\"windin_pp\"](\"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/windin_pp.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I am always drawn to poetic dish names, so rare in European cuisines. Doesn’t\u00a0Wind in the Pines (Toriniku Matsukaze-yaki, \u9d8f\u8089\u677e\u98a8\u713c\u304d) sound incomparably better than Chicken Loaf? One might wonder how a baked chicken loaf can bear such a beautiful name?\u00a0According to Shizuo Tsuji, the author of the magnificent\u00a0\u201cThe Japanese Cooking. A Simple Art\u201d<\/a>,\u00a0where I found this recipe,\u00a0the grains sprinkled over the top evoke the sand on a pine-bordered beach, while the boiling kettle in tea ceremony is like wind blowing through the seaside pines. To be precise,\u00a0toriniku<\/em>\u00a0means chicken,\u00a0matsukaze<\/em>\u00a0“wind in the pines” and\u00a0yaki d<\/em>escribes the grilling\/pan-frying cooking method (even though this is supposed to be baked in a hot water bath, not grilled, but I suppose this is due to the fact that baking is not really popular in Japan…).<\/p>\n Apart from the magical name, the final original step of this recipe was what has captured my attention. The beautiful yellow colour is obtained by brushing raw egg yolk over the freshly baked loaf; the yolk cooks instantly and forms a sunny layer over the otherwise pale, unappetising dish. Even though my first Chicken Loaf looked and tasted wonderful, I have allowed myself several modifications, hoping they do not destroy the original idea. My way to prepare this dish gives a very similar result: a filling and warming, but surprisingly light meal. It has certainly brought a ray of sunshine to the cloudy, snowy weather we have been having.<\/p>\n My first Chicken Loaf seemed too dry, which is often the case with cooked minced lean meat. Therefore, I have added some silken tofu, the trick which I have been practising with dumplings for quite a long time. Since I always try to simplify the cooking steps, I have switched from hot water bath in the oven to steaming (but both methods are described below). Not only is it easier this way, but much quicker. Moreover, if you serve rice too, both can cook in the rice cooker at the same time. Last but not least, I have decided to serve this loaf in individual baking dishes rather than preparing a traditional big flat loaf. If you want to know the original recipe, I advise consulting\u00a0Shizuo Tsuji’s book<\/a>.<\/p>\n This dish would be equally good served with rice and Japanese pickles and, in a more European way, with a green salad and bread. I would advise also serving it with a sauce of your choice.<\/p>\n
![\"kokos_pj\"](\"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/kokos_pj.jpg\")
<\/p>\n