Pumpkin with Chicken

(serves4)

• 1 pumpkin (1 lb. 2 oz. or 500 g)
• 2-2/3 oz. (80 g) chicken breast fillet

• 2 c. dashi
• 2 T. sugar
• 3 T. mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 2 T. light-colored soy sauce

• 1 t. cornstarch
• 1-1/2 t. water

• 1 T. shredded ginger root

Directions

Cut the pumpkin (illus. 1) in half and remove the seeds (illus.2). Remove the skin at 3/8" (1 cm) intervals (illus. 3)
and cut into chunks.
Remove the skin from the chicken breast fillet and chop the meat finely.
Add dashi,sugar mirin,light-colored soy sauce and the pumpkin chunks to a pot and cook over low heat until completely done(about 15 minutes). Remove from the broth, and arrange in neat rows on a serving dish. Save the broth.
Heat a frying pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, and stir-fry the chopped chicken. Add the liquid from cooking the pumpkin and bring to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch water,and pour over the pumpkin. Top with shredded ginger root, and serve.
Pumpkins with thick flesh are best for this recipe.