Mochi has much more to offer than just ice cream. We have that too though.
INGREDIENTS:
Mitirashi Sauce:
5 tablespoons (68g) sugar
2 tablespoons (30g) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (18g) Mirin
1 tablespoon (15g) sake
2/3 cup (155g) water
2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch
Splash of shirodashi *optional*
Mitirashi Dango (dough):
3/4 cup (110g) rice flour (Joshinko)
3/4 cup (120g) sweet rice flour (Shiratamako)
2/3 cup (155g) of warm water
Thin wooden skewers
Potato Mochi:
1 large russet potato
1/2 teaspoon (4g) fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (24g) potato starch
2 teaspoons (10g) water
Vegetable oil for cooking
Nori for wrapping, cut into 1 x 2” rectangles
2 green onions thinly sliced for topping
Potato Mochi Sauce:
3 tablespoons (40g) sugar
2 tablespoons (24g) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (17g) Mirin
1 tablespoon (14g) shirodashi
Pan Fried Mochi:
1 large trumpet mushroom, diced
6 oz (170g) ground pork
2 green onions finely chopped
1 cup (52g) green cabbage, finely chopped
1 inch (25mm) knob ginger grated
3 cloves garlic rough chopped
1 teaspoon (5g) toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon (12g) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (4g) chili crisp *optional*
Mochi Pan Fried Dough:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (129g) of hot water
1 1/2 cups (225g) glutinous rice flour (Mochiko)
2.5 teaspoons (13g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine sea salt
2.5 teaspoons (10g) vegetable oil
Pan Fried Mozzarella:
Mochi dough wrapping
1 block of mozzarella cheese, low moisture
Panko fry setup
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mitirashi Sauce:
In a medium sauce pot, add sugar, soy sauce, Mirin, sake, and water; once hot, whisk cornstarch and cook until thickened. Optionally add a splash of Shiro dashi.
Mitirashi Dango (dough):
Get a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
In a medium-sized bowl, add rice flour and sweet rice flour; whisk to combine, then add water, mix and knead continuously until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Cut your dough into 25 grams pieces, about 15 - 16 total pieces, shape them into balls, and carefully drop them in the boiling water until they begin to float about 2 - 4 minutes.
Remove and immediately drop them in an ice water bath until cool. To a skewer, add 3 balls, then with a kitchen torch, lightly char one side and drizzle with your warm sauce.
Potato Mochi:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place potato on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until soft. Cool completely, remove the skin, and place in a medium bowl.
Mash your potato until fine as possible, then add salt and cornstarch; mix until combined, then add water and mix until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest while you make the sauce.
Cut your dough into 7 - 8 pieces (30g each) and shape them into a ¾ ” thick disc. Set a medium-sized nonstick pan to medium heat and brush the bottom of the pan with oil. Once hot, pan fry your “mochi” discs for 3 - 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
Lightly brush one side with your sauce, and flip; brush the other side and repeat this process until caramelized, and finally, wrap each disc with a nori rectangle.
Potato Mochi Sauce:
In a small sauce-pot, add all the ingredients, mix, and heat until sugar dissolves. Place on a ramekin and reserve.
Pan Fried Mochi:
Heat a 10” skillet over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add your mushrooms and sear them for 2 - 3 minutes, tossing occasionally until browned.
Move the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side, add pork, flatten it, to get more contact surface, season with salt, flip and start breaking up the meat.
Add a splash of water to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Remove and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each disc.
Set a medium-sized nonstick pan to medium heat and brush the bottom of the pan with oil. Once hot, pan-fry your “mochi” discs for 3 - 4 minutes, flip and reduce the heat to low.
Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook for 3- 4 more minutes. Remove and serve with some chili crisp or ponzu.
Mochi Pan Fried Dough:
Add salt and sugar to your hot water; whisk until dissolved
In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, and mix with your water mixture. Mix with a pair of chopsticks, add vegetable oil, and knead until smooth. (You can add a splash of water if needed.) Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Divide your dough into 50 grams (about 5 pieces total). Form a disc about 5” wide, dusting with flour as needed. Add about 1 tbsp of your pork mixture to the center of the disc and fold the edges to seal.
Pan Fried Mozzarella:
Using a 1 - 1.5” cylinder mold, punch out as many cylinders as possible from your mozzarella block, then cut them into .5” thick. Add a piece of cheese to your dough disc and seal the edges. Repeat with the rest of your dough.
Breading station: in three separate medium-sized bowls, add flour, beaten eggs with a splash of water, and panko crumbs.
Coat each mochi with flour, shake off the excess, dip them in the egg mixture fully covered (no dry spots), and dip them into the panko pressing down to coat thoroughly. Place them on a sheet tray to the side.
Fill up a heavy bottom pot just over halfway with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350F, and fry your mochi, 3 at a time to avoid overcrowding, for about 2 minutes or until a crispy golden brown. Remove and place on a sheet tray lined with paper towels and season with salt while hot.