Japanese Pan-Fried Chicken

Due to my ready access to the library, I've been borrowing a lot of cookbooks and trying out new recipes. Here's one easy and delicious recipe I cooked for dinner last week taken from "The Quick and Easy Japanese Cookbook" by Katsuyo Kobayashi.

2-3 boneless chicken thighs
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms (I used dried mushrooms)
3 small bell peppers
2-3 tablespoons mirin (or 2-3 tablespoons sake + 2 teaspoons sugar)
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
sichimi togarashi red pepper or red chili flakes (optional)

1. Trim off any excess fat from the chicken.

2. Cut off hard stems off the mushrooms, and cut each mushroom in half or into quarters. If using bell peppers, remove caps and seeds, and cut lengthwise into 4-6 pieces.

3. Make the sauce by combining mirin and soy sauce, and set aside.

4. Heat a nonstick fry pan until very hot. Place chicken skin-side down and fry over medium-heat until the skin starts to crisp and turn golden brown. Turn chicken over and brown the other side. Add shiitake and green peppers to the pan.

5. When the meat is just cooked through, add the sauce. Turn chicken and vegetables repeatedly, to develop the flavor.

6. When sauce thickens, remove chicken from the pan and cut into easy-to-eat pieces. Arrange attractively on a dish with mushrooms and peppers. Serve hot, setting out sansho pepper and shicimi togarashi red pepper on the table as optional seasonings.