Couch Culture Club - Japan

Kon'nichiwa it’s week 7 of the couch culture club and we’ve landed in japan!

From its hot springs & cherry blossom to robot cafes & musical toilets Japan is truly timeless, a place where ancient traditions are fused with modern life as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and our destination for this weeks Couch Culture Club.

Some personal favourites have come to mind this week starting with a go-to Japanese eat, Pork Gyoza. This is something I can’t resist craving when in the mood for Japanese food. Put your origami skills to the test when folding these delicate parcels or keep it simple! Pair your Gyoza with a fresh and delicious Sake Lychee Martini, inspired by Japan’s bright pink cherry blossoms. Finish your night off with a journey back in time to 1920’s Japan with the incredible film Memoirs of a Geisha and immerse yourself in the complex world of these traditional entertainers.

If you’re headed with us this week, we would love to see your photos you can send them to us on Facebook or via email

 
 
Pork Gyoza

Pork Gyoza

INGREDIENTS

  • Gow Gee Wrappers (Woolworth’s)

  • 500g pork mince

  • 2 cups cabbage, chopped

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sake

  • 1 teaspoon salt/pepper

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

    Dipping Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon chilli oil (optional)

METHOD

Combine the mince, cabbage, shallots, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Add soy sauce, sake and salt and pepper to the bowl. Combine well with hands.

Take a wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of pork mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold over to enclose filling. Pinch edges together. Repeat with remaining wrappers and pork mixture.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, place the gyoza in a single layer, flat side down. Cook until the bottom of the gyoza turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan, immediately cover with a lid and steam the gyoza for about 3 minutes or until most of the water evaporates. Transfer to a plate and serve with dipping sauce. *Tip; You can add 1 Tbsp of flour to the water, or remove the lid after water is evaporated and add some oil for an extra crispy base.

 
 
Sake lychee martini

Sake lychee martini

Inspired by the beautiful and bright pink cherry blossoms of Japan, this elegant sake lychee martini is simply refreshing and delicous.

  • 2 shots dry sake

  • 1 shot lychee liqueur

  • 1 shot lychee juice

  • 1 lime wedge

  • lychee - for garnish

Pour sake, lychee liqueur, lychee juice and squeeze lime into a shaker with ice. Shake, and then strain into glass. Garnish with a lychee fruit on a cocktail pick

 
 
Watch Japan

Memoirs of a Geisha

Set in the 1920’s, this film tells the story of a young Japanese girl, Chiyo Sakamoto who is torn from her penniless family to work as a servant in a geisha house. The film explores the sacrifices and hardship faced by pre-WW2 geisha’s and the challenges posed by the war and a modernising world to geisha society. You can watch it on Stan by Clicking Here

 
Julie ClearyComment