Name: Make Japanese-style meatballs using Clarissa Feildel’s simple method
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Glaze (Tare); 100ml soy sauce; 100ml mirin; 100ml sake; 35g brown sugar; Skewers; 250g chicken mince; 250g pork mince; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon white miso (optional); 1 egg; 4 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs; 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornflour; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; White pepper, to taste; 10 medium bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 1 hour); Traditional side dishes; Raw egg yolk, for dipping; Shichimi togarashi; Pickled cucumber; Steamed short-grain Japanese rice; Sliced king brown mushroom, sliced green onion and baby eggplant skewers, to serve (optional)

Japanese-style meatballs, or Tsukune meatballs, are a common yakitori dish eaten in Japan. Made with chicken mince and cooked on a bamboo skewer, these meatballs are as juicy and bouncy as they get. Clarissa Feildel has a simple way of cooking them, including a sweet glaze.

Take inspiration from the traditional side dishes listed in the ingredients list to pair with your Tsukune meatballs. Will you have pickled cucumber or a raw egg yolk for dipping on the side?

Cook’s tips

Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese spice mix with red peppers available from the Asian section of most supermarkets or an Asian grocer.
Chicken thigh and fatty pork mince are best for this recipe.

Ingredients

Glaze (Tare)

100ml soy sauce

100ml mirin

100ml sake

35g brown sugar

Skewers

250g chicken mince

250g pork mince

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon white miso (optional)

1 egg

4 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon potato starch or cornflour

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

White pepper, to taste

10 medium bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 1 hour)

Traditional side dishes

Raw egg yolk, for dipping

Shichimi togarashi

Pickled cucumber

Steamed short-grain Japanese rice

Sliced king brown mushroom, sliced green onion and baby eggplant skewers, to serve (optional)

Method

Step 1

Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly syrupy. Set aside.

Step 2

For the skewers, combine meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with your hands until sticky – this builds that springy “tsukune texture”. Throw the mixture back into the bowl a few times to tighten the mixture.

Step 3

Using wet hands, shape mixture into small oval meatballs or small sausages shaped around skewers (yakitori-style). Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 4

Pan-fry, barbecue or grill skewers with a little oil over medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side or until nearly cooked through. Brush with glaze and cook for a further 1–2 minutes, or until glossy and caramelised. Serve skewers with side dishes.

clarissa feildel's tsukune meatballs on skewers with dip and vegies on the side

Clarissa Feildel Chef

As an accomplished cook, author and television presenter Clarissa Feildel has always had food at the heart of everything she does. Clarissa’s Nyonya/Chinese and Sri Lankan background has given her a melting pot of dishes in her repertoire, which she uses every day when feeding her family.