1. 1

   Cut the chicken breasts into pieces about 1 cm / 1/3 in. thick. Lightly massage the chicken with liquid shio koji and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to help make the meat moist.

2. 2

   Mix ingredients for the balsamic-teriyaki sauce in a one-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and maintain a gentle boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 T of the sauce for salad dressing.

3. 3

   Sprinkle the chicken with black pepper and lightly dust with flour. Add canola or vegetable oil to a non-stick frying pan, followed by the chicken pieces. Cook briefly over medium-low heat until slightly colored and then turn over. Remove chicken when a skewer can be inserted smoothly, and set aside in a cooking tray.

4. 4

   Lightly wipe excess oil from the frying pan with a paper towel. Add the balsamic-teriyaki sauce to this pan over medium heat. As the sauce bubbles, return chicken with its juice to the frying pan and coat the meat evenly with the sauce for 2-3 minutes.

5. 5

   Remove chicken from pan and cut into bite-sized pieces. Spoon out hot cooked rice into a serving bowl and level off the top. Place the chicken on the rice and pour about 2 t of the remaining sauce from the pan over the chicken. Serve accompanied with salad greens drizzled with dressing that was set aside in Step 2, along with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. Add more balsamic-teriyaki sauce if desired.

1. * 1There are two types of shio koji: clear liquid and thick ivory-colored liquid. Use the clear liquid shio koji in this recipe, and adjust according to weight of chicken; i.e., about 1 t shio koji per 100 g / 3.5 oz. If unavailable, you may skip this ingredient.

Recipe by Michiko Yamamoto