Marinated Corn-fed Chicken Breast Recipe

Prepare marinade and vacuum-seal

Whisk rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, olive oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Place each chicken breast in a vacuum bag or heavy-duty zip-top bag. Divide marinade evenly and add to bags, massaging so marinade coats chicken. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours (preferably 1–2 hours).

Sous-vide cook

Preheat sous-vide bath to 64°C (147°F). Remove as much air as possible and seal bags. Submerge sealed chicken breasts in the bath and cook for 3 hours. After cooking, remove bags from the water bath and transfer to an ice bath for 10 minutes if not serving immediately to stop cooking and tighten texture.

Finish and crisp skin

Pat chicken skin dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 1½–2 minutes until golden and crisp, flip briefly (30 seconds) to color the other side. If desired, brush with soy glaze and let caramelize for 15–30 seconds. Rest chicken 3–4 minutes before slicing.

Rehydrate wakame: place dried wakame in a bowl of warm water for 5–10 minutes until softened. Drain and squeeze out excess water, then roughly chop if pieces are large.

Blanch green beans: bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry.

Toss vegetables: in a bowl combine blanched green beans, julienned carrots and rehydrated wakame. Add rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Toss gently to combine and adjust seasoning to taste. Keep at room temperature until plating or warm gently for 1–2 minutes in a skillet if serving warm.

Warm and season purée: place pumpkin purée, heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until warmed through and butter melts, about 4–6 minutes. Whisk to smooth. Season with salt and a pinch of nutmeg. If purée is too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons water or cream to reach a smooth plating consistency. Keep warm until plating.

Cook mushrooms: heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped shallot and cook 1 minute until translucent. Add sliced mixed mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and cook without stirring for 2–3 minutes to develop color. Stir, add thyme, salt and pepper, and cook another 2–3 minutes until mushrooms are tender and any released liquid has mostly evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Assemble: on each plate spread a swoosh of warm pumpkin purée (about 2–3 tablespoons). Arrange a portion of the mixed mushrooms beside the purée, and a small mound of the beans/seaweed/carrot medley. Slice one chicken breast into 3–4 medallions and fan over the purée and mushrooms.

Finish: drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil and (optional) soy glaze over the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and microgreens or chopped chives. Serve immediately.