All recipes serve 2, from The Wagamama Cookbook
CHICKEN TAMA RICE: CHARGRILLED CHICKEN WITH OYSTER SAUCE AND STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES
200g Japanese or other short-grain rice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
vegetable oil, for frying
salt and white pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
1 large courgette, sliced
15 poku (or shiitake) mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick
2 tbsp shaoshing wine (or dry sherry)
150ml water
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp cornflour
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp sesame oil
Cook the rice in a large pan of boiling water until tender. Set aside. Preheat the grill or griddle pan. Lightly oil the chicken breasts with vegetable oil, season and grill for four minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Allow to rest for five minutes, slice on the diagonal and set aside.
Heat a wok over a medium heat for one to two minutes or until completely hot and almost smoking, and add three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the courgette and mushrooms and stir-fry for one minute. Pour in the wine and water, then bring to the boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sugar and oyster sauce.
Make a paste with the cornflour and a little cold water, then skim off two tablespoons of the liquid in the wok, mix with the paste, return to the pan and bring back to the boil. Add the egg to the sauce and cook until soft but don't let it curdle. Stir through the sesame oil. Divide the rice between two plates, place the chargrilled chicken breast on top, and pour on the sauce.
EBI YAKITORI: STIR-FRIED VEGETABLE SKEWERS WITH GRILLED PRAWNS
18 raw peeled prawns
1 courgette, cut into 2.5cm slices
1 orange pepper, trimmed, deseeded and cut in chunks
6 thick spring onions, trimmed and cut in chunks
6 button mushrooms
6 cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp ebi kuzu kiri sauce (see below)
110g soba noodles
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
large handful of beansprouts
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a little salt
1 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for two hours
Thread three prawns on each skewer, alternating with one piece of courgette, two pieces of pepper, two pieces of thick spring onion, one mushroom and one tomato. Brush with some of the ebi kuzu kiri sauce. Preheat the grill or a griddle and cook the yakitori for three to four minutes, turning frequently, until the prawns are cooked through.
Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain, then combine in a large bowl with the finely sliced spring onions, beansprouts, garlic, salt and sugar. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or wok and add the vegetable oil. Add the noodle mixture and stir-fry for two minutes until all the ingredients are combined and warmed through. Transfer to two plates and top with the cooked prawn yakitori. Drizzle with the remaining sauce.
EBI KUZU KIRI SAUCE
A sharp, intense sauce for finishing or dipping, with citrus flavours balanced by the richness of the oyster sauce. This keeps for up to 10 days in the fridge (about 125ml).
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
juice of 3 limes
Gently heat the sugar and fish sauce until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool and combine with the oyster sauce and lime juice.
WAGAMAMA RAMEN
150g firm tofu
vegetable oil, for frying
250g ramen noodles
4 slices kamaboko-aka (fish cake from oriental stores)
4 crabsticks
1 egg, hard-boiled
4 cooked and peeled prawns
2 pak choi, roughly chopped
1 litre chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and white pepper
12 pieces menma (canned bamboo shoots), drained
1 tbsp wakame seaweed, soaked in warm water for five minutes
drained and roughy chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
Cut the tofu into one-centimetre slices and pan fry in a little oil for about one minute on each side until just coloured. Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for two to three minutes or until just tender. Drain, refresh under cold running water and drain again. Divide between two bowls along with the kamaboko-aka, crabsticks, tofu, half an egg each, two prawns each and the pak choi.
Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Preheat the grill or a griddle. Lightly coat the chicken breasts in vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper and grill or chargrill for four minutes each side or until cooked. Allow to rest for five minutes and slice on the diagonal into one-centimetre strips. To finish the dish, pour the chicken stock over the noodles, lay a chicken breast on top of each one and garnish with the menma, wakame and spring onion.