00:00Boxed Roo Cube makes Japanese cream stew easy, but they can't touch this velvety from scratch version.
00:06Think child vibes but richer and creamier. Watch that snow white sauce coat your spoon.
00:12If you'd like a printable version of this recipe to keep in your kitchen,
00:16just google cream stews that you'd find it.
00:18Before we start cooking, let's get our prep sorted.
00:22First, take your one tablespoon of unsalted batter out of the fridge and let it soften to room
00:28temperature. You want it to easily squash between your fingers.
00:32Then cut your chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces. If you're using skin on thighs, that's perfect.
00:38I recommend thigh over breast as it stays beautifully tender even after simmering,
00:43but that's your choice.
00:44For the vegetables, slice half an onion,
00:47mince one clove garlic, and slice about five bottom mushrooms.
00:51For the potatoes and carrots, cut to create pieces of similar size, around two to three centimeters.
00:59As always, all ingredients and exact measurements for this recipe can be found in the description box below.
01:05Alright, let's get cooking.
01:06Swirl about one teaspoon of neutral oil into your pan over medium-low heat.
01:11When the oil shimmers, lay in your chicken pieces,
01:14skin side down if you're using skin on thighs.
01:18Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt and let them sit undisturbed for two to three minutes.
01:23Listen for a gentle hiss, not an aggressive sizzle.
01:27We're aiming for the signature snow white cream stew.
01:30Aggressive browning creates fond, and while fond is usually a great thing for flavour,
01:36it's too dark for cream stew's signature snowy appearance this time.
01:40Once you see pale beige around the edges, flip the pieces and see the other side.
01:45No more pink, but be careful not to brown.
01:49Now add your onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan with another pinch of salt.
01:54Keep the heat up medium-low and sauté, stirring frequently.
01:59Watch as the onions turn translucent and glossy.
02:02The garlic releases its fragrance, and the mushrooms shrink as they release their liquid.
02:08This is where layered flavour starts to build.
02:11Again, no browning.
02:13Once the onions have softened and everything looks glossy, pour in three tablespoons of white wine.
02:20Let simmer until reduced by more than half.
02:23Keep the reduction steady, not raging.
02:26If you go too hard, the wine turns harsh.
02:30Once reduced, turn off the heat and set this pan aside.
02:34We'll come back to it.
02:35Now we're switching to our second pot.
02:38In a separate pot, combine 300ml of water,
02:42three tablespoons of white wine,
02:44one teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder,
02:47quarter teaspoon of salt,
02:48and one bay leaf.
02:49Give it a mix.
02:51Add your potatoes and carrots to this pot.
02:54We're heating the root vegetables together with the broth from the start.
02:58This helps them cook evenly to the core, rather than off-cooking the outside while the middle stays raw.
03:05Bring everything to a gentle boil of medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.
03:09Keep it gentle for about three minutes.
03:11Time to bring everything together.
03:14Slide your chicken pieces and the aromatic onion, mushroom, garlic mixture from the skillet into the pot with the vegetables.
03:22Give everything a gentle stir to distribute.
03:24Cover with a lid and let it simmer gently.
03:28Set a timer for five minutes.
03:30While the pot simmers, grab a small bowl and add two tablespoons of cake flour, all purpose works too,
03:37two tablespoons of your softened and salted butter,
03:41and one teaspoon of white miso paste.
03:43Use a fork or small spatula to work them into a smooth paste.
03:49It'll look slightly like a tan buttercream when it's ready.
03:52This is my modified version of a French technique called brumenier,
03:57and it's your lump prevention insurance.
04:00The butter coats each flour particle, preventing them from clumping the moment they hit hot liquid.
04:07How is it modified?
04:08I added a bit of white miso to add just enough Japanese complexity to make people ask what makes
04:15this taste so good, without even identifying the sauce.
04:19Uncover your pot and pierce the potato and carrot with a bamboo skewer.
04:24It should slide in with only slight resistance, tender but not falling apart.
04:30This check is important before we add dairy, as adding dairy to undercooked vegetables can actually slow
04:38their softening. Vegetable tender? Perfect. Turn off the heat completely and whisk in half of your brumenier
04:45until fully melted. Then add the rest and whisk until smooth. If any lumps form,
04:53take the pot off the heat entirely and whisk vigorously. In a worst case scenario,
04:58you can strain them out, but working in batches like this usually prevents any drama.
05:03Now turn the heat back onto a gentle simmer and keep stirring for about 2 minutes.
05:08Watch the transformation. You'll see the sauce go from brothy to
05:12velvety as the starch granules swell and gelatinize.
05:17Once the sauce has thickened, it's time for the dairy. From here, never let it boil.
05:23Add your 100ml of heavy cream and 100ml of whole milk in small splashes.
05:29Stirring after each addition. The sauce will thin slightly as the cold dairy cools it,
05:35then thicken again as you return it to gentle heat.
05:39Just so you know, my cream is 35% fat. Keep the heat on the absolute lowest setting
05:46and warm everything through for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
05:50Now dip your spoon in the sauce, then run your finger across the back.
05:55If the line holds clean without the sauce running back together, that's the texture we're after.
06:01Turn off the heat, stir in 1 tsp of freshly grated hard cheese, I'm using Gran of Darno today,
06:08and add just a pint of nutmeg.
06:11Now taste. Adjust the salt a little at a time until it's savory to your liking.
06:16This is your moment to fine-tune.
06:19For a pop of colour and freshness, I want to add some steamed broccoli.
06:24Place them in a heat-proof bowl with a splash of water,
06:27cover with a lid, plate or plastic rub, and microwave for 3 minutes at 600 watts.
06:34Of course, using a steamer is perfectly fine too.
06:38Divide the stew into serving bowls, topped with your steamed broccoli,
06:42and finish with a crack of black pepper.
06:46Now in Japan, the cream stew companion is a highly debatable topic.
06:50Some have it with rice, others with bread, such as baguettes.
06:55But personally, I'm team baguette.
06:57Toasted slices of crusty bread dunked into the luxurious sauce.
07:01Either way, you really can't go wrong.
07:06And there you have it.
07:07Japanese cream stew made from scratch.
07:10Snowy, velvety, mild, and deeply comforting.
07:13With tender chicken, and spoon soft vegetables in a sauce that's rich without being too heavy.
07:20Want even more delicious recipes?
07:22Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
07:26Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
07:29And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions
07:31by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
07:36That's a wrap.
07:37You can find the full printable version of this recipe on my website, linked right here on the screen.
07:42It has all the extra details to help you get it perfect every time.
07:46If you enjoy this, check out my winter playlist.
07:50And next week, I'm making chicken katsudon.
07:53Hit subscribe so you don't miss it.
07:54See you then.
07:55See you then.
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