White miso and black sesame chicken balls

MAKES 36-38 BALLS

1kg chicken thigh fillets, skinned and boned

150g sweet white miso paste 2tbsp Japanese rice wine vinegar

10g ginger, finely grated 2tbsp black sesame seeds

For the fennel and cucumber salad

100ml Japanese rice wine vinegar

1tbsp caster sugar

2 bulbs fennel

2-3 celery sticks

½ cucumber

4 spring onions

2 bird’s eye chillies, deseeded and finely sliced handful fresh mint leaves

For the carrot dressing

100ml sunflower oil

1 large carrot, very finely grated 12g ginger, finely grated 1 shallot, chopped

1tbsp soy sauce

4tsp Japanese rice wine vinegar 1tbsp sugar

mandolin

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas 6. Cut the chicken thighs into 1cm pieces and place in a food processer with a pinch of salt and pulse to a coarse paste.

With wet hands, roll the mixture into small balls and set aside.

Combine the miso paste, rice wine vinegar and grated ginger together in a bowl.

Gently coat a few chicken balls at a time in the mixture and place in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the black sesame seeds and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

For the salad, put the rice wine vinegar and sugar in a bowl and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Top and tail the fennel and slice finely with a mandolin. Drop the fennel into iced water to crisp up.

Cut the celery diagonally into thin slices. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Cut in half again lengthways and slice diagonally into thin slices. Thinly slice the spring onion diagonally.

Drain the fennel and mix everything together in a large bowl with the chillies and mint. Coat with the rice wine vinegar mixture.

To make the carrot dressing, mix everything together in a blender and whizz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the salad between small bowls, add some carrot dressing and pop a ball or two on top.