1. 1

   Trim excess fat and butterfly the thick part of the chicken breasts for even cooking. Rub shio koji on both sides to season and tenderize; chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

2. 2

   To prepare mushrooms, remove shiitake stems, cut caps in halves. Cut eryngi into halves then into 4-5 slices. Heat olive oil in a frying pan; sauté shiitake until slightly soft, then add eryngi. When tender, add 1 t butter, season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan, set aside.

3. 3

   To prepare sauce, heat olive oil and sauté onion in a saucepan over lower-medium heat, until transparent. Reduce heat, add tomato paste and stir. Add soy sauce, mix well. Add red wine, raise to high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add dashi stock, crushed black peppercorns and blueberries; simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Lightly crush blueberries. Add 1 T honey. Stir constantly until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat, set aside.

4. 4

   Lightly wipe shio koji from chicken with paper towel; cut into halves along fiber. Coat both sides with flour, shake off excess. Sprinkle crushed black peppercorns on one side. Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan. Add chicken and 2 sprigs rosemary. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Turn, cook the other side until slightly colored. Add 1-2 T of sake, cover and simmer until a skewer passes easily through chicken. Remove from pan, add remaining chicken juice to sauce; bring to another boil.

5. 5

   Cut chicken into 2 cm- / 3/4 in.-wide pieces, place on serving platter. Drizzle sauce over chicken. Serve with sautéed mushrooms garnished with remaining rosemary.

Recipe by Michiko Yamamoto