Tori Bento

Tsukune Sauce & Tsukune:

1. For the tsukune sauce, in a small saucepan, place the water, sake, mirin, and sugar. Bring it to a boil. Cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the soy sauce. Reduce to a glaze consistency. Return the sauce briefly to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Add the katsuobushi. Let it steep for 1 minute. Strain. Reserve.
2. For the nest, lightly oil an aluminum bowl. Arrange the kadayif inside the bowl in a nest shape. Spray lightly with oil. Bake in the preheated oven until evenly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reserve.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. For the tsukune, remove the skin from the chicken thigh and reserve. Debone. Cut the meat into even ¼-inch pieces. Season lightly with salt. Reserve.
5. In a small sauté pan over low heat, place the chicken skin. Render until golden brown and crisp. Using a food processor, grind the rendered chicken skin. Reserve.
6. For the tsukune mixture, in a large bowl, place the chicken meat, ground chicken skin, scallion, and cornstarch. Mix until the proteins bind and the mixture becomes cohesive. Shape the tsukune into small corn dog–like forms.
7. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the tsukune on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
8. Transfer the tsukune to a baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven until completely cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F), about 10 minutes.
9. For the onigiri sauce, in a small bowl, place the paprika, lime ponzu, aji mirin, and water. Mix until combined. Reserve.
10. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant slices. Sauté, brushing the slices with the onigiri sauce, until slightly softened but not browned, 30 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a half hotel pan.
11. Place about 1 tablespoon of the Chicken Liver Pâté on the end of each slice. Roll into a triangular onigiri shape. Lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Working in batches, sauté the onigiri until crisp and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F), 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Fill a large sauté pan halfway up the side with canola oil. Heat over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Lower the heat to medium. Working in batches, add the rice paper. Fry until white and crisp, about 10 seconds. Dust with shichimi.
13. Warm the serving plates. For each portion, arrange ⅕ of the kadayif nest at the base. Place 1 eggplant onigiri to the left of the nest. Use the rice paper to help the onigiri stand up. Place 1 pickled tomato in the center of the nest. Place 1 tsukune on the right side of the nest. Top with the reserved tsukune sauce. Garnish with 1 chiffonaded shiso leaf.

For Pickled Tomatoes:

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and season it like the ocean. Add the cherry tomatoes. Blanch for 15 seconds.
2. Immediately transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Cool. Gently peel the skins and discard. Reserve to tomatoes.
3. In a small container, place the rice vinegar, sugar, and honey. Mix until the sugar and honey are fully dissolved.
4. Add the peeled tomatoes, ensuring they are submerged. Marinate for at least 1 ½ hours.