Ingredients for 4 Servings
Chicken breast (鶏胸肉 / Tori mune niku) 1
Shiokōji (Salt (塩/ Shio)麹 / Shiokōji) 1 1/2 tbsp
String beans (いんげん / Ingen) 8
Vegetable oil (植物油 / Shokubutsu-yu) As needed
Kite string (タコ糸 / Tako ito) As needed
How to Make
1. Remove the skin from the chicken breast. Make a cut down the center of the breast, but do not cut all the way through. Next, open the cut, lean the knife blade to the side about 45 degrees and make another cut without going all the way through. Open the cut and make more cuts in the same fashion to roll the meat out. The goal is to achieve a more or less uniform thickness. Repeat on the other half of the breast. Once you have a more or less flat piece of chicken, sprinkle on the shiokoji and set the chicken aside for at least 1 hour.
2. Fill a medium-size pot with water and bring it to a boil. Boil the string beans for 1 minute and then remove them to cold water. Drain and set the beans aside.
3. Place the string beans on top of the chicken and roll them up. Tie kite string around the roll to hold it together.
4. Begin preheating an oven to 180℃. Add a bit of vegetable oil to a frying pan and place the pan on medium heat. Brown the chicken roll. Place the browned chicken roll into the oven for 40 minutes. Monitor the chicken during this time. If it looks like the chicken will burn, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
5. When the chicken roll is done cooking, remove it from the oven and cut off the string. Cut the roll into 8 equally sized pieces.
Significance of Hōshomaki as an Osechi Dish
Hōsho (奉書) is high-quality paper traditionally used for ceremonial purposes. “Hōshomaki” (奉書巻き) refers to a food made by wrapping a white material around other ingredients, in the fashion of a scroll. The scroll shape symbolizes study, or learning, and ultimately a wish for success at school and in one’s adult life.
KitchenNippon 
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