Japanese Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves:

Ingredients:

1 Inch cube fresh ginger
2 tb Distilled white vinegar OR
6 tb Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
1 tb Vegetable oil
18 Large well formed mushrooms
Freshly ground black pepper
Or 1 spring onion, chopped
3 Blades fresh chives
10 oz Chicken, skinned, minced
1 Egg (medium)
3 tb Japanese rice vinegar

Method:

Peel the ginger and grate it finely.
Collect it all on your fingertips.
Hold it over a bowl and squeeze out the juice.
Discard the ginger pulp, keeping the juice.
Break the egg into the same bowl and beat it lightly.
Add the minced chicken and black pepper to taste.
Fienely chop about 2 teaspoons of fresh chives or spring onion and add to the stuffing.
Mix gently.
Gently break of the mushroom stems.
Wipe the mushroom caps with damp kitchen paper.
Stuff each mushroom cavity with a heaped teaspoon of the chicken mixture, flattening out the top.
Put the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and set it over a medium-high heat.
When it is hot, put in the mushroom caps, stuffed side down.
Cook for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Turn the cups over and turn the heat down to medium.
Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl.
Put three caps on to each of six individual salad plates, stuffed side up.
Spoon an equal amount of sauce over each plate of mushrooms.
Serve hot with english mustard to dip in.