A bright, relaxed one-pot dinner for the tail end of summer: lean chicken breast, sweet fresh corn, juicy tomatoes, carrot and komatsuna simmered in a light tomato broth. The vegetables do most of the flavor work, while the chicken makes it satisfying enough to stand on its own.
Ingredients
500g Chicken breast
2 large Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 ear Corn
1 medium Carrot
1/2 bunch Komatsuna
1 medium Onion
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped (or 3cm tube paste)
1 osaji Olive oil
400g cut tomatoes
150cc water
1 tsp Consome granules
Black pepper
Dried oregano or basil
Lemon wedges
Preparation
1. Cut the chicken into fairly large bite-size pieces. Pat dry if very wet.
2. Slice the carrot fairly thinly so it cooks at the same pace as the stew.
3. Cut the corn kernels from the cob. Keep the bare cob — it will flavor the broth.
4. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Cut the komatsuna into about 4cm lengths, keeping stems and leaves roughly separated.
5. Slice the onion and prepare the garlic.
Instructions
1. Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for about 3–4 minutes, turning once or twice, until lightly golden in spots. It does not need to be cooked through yet.
2. Start the vegetables. Add the onion and carrot. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften and smell sweet. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
3. Build the stew. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, corn kernels, canned tomatoes, water and consommé. Nestle the stripped corn cob into the liquid. Add oregano or basil if using.
4. Simmer gently. Bring to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook for 15–20 minutes. Stir once or twice. The chicken should be fully cooked, the carrot tender, and the broth slightly reduced but still loose and spoonable.
5. Finish with the greens. Remove and discard the corn cob. Add the komatsuna stems first and cook for about 1 minute, then add the leaves. Simmer another 2–3 minutes, just until the greens are tender and vividly green.
6. Taste and serve. Taste before adding anything else. Finish with plenty of black pepper and, only if needed, a small pinch of salt. Ladle into bowls while hot.
Cooking Note
Don’t throw away the corn cob after removing the kernels. Simmering it in the tomato broth adds a gentle sweetness and fresh corn aroma for absolutely no extra work. Also, add the komatsuna late — long cooking turns its cheerful green into cafeteria green.
Tamagawa Salad 