Japan is a country that certainly cooks according to the seasons, as evidenced in their kaiseki fine dining traditions. Motif Restaurant, housed inside the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, is no exception. Chef Hiroyuki Asano shares the highlight of their latest spring menu: chicken grilled with canola flower and mustard.

Nanohana (canola flowers) bloom in the Japanese countryside in March and are a popular ingredient often paired with Japanese mustard to counter its delicate, slightly bitter taste. In Japan, the canola flower is a vegetable representing spring, shares
 chef Asano, who got the inspiration for the dish when he saw the bright green vegetables at the local market.

Grilled Chicken with Canola Flower and Mustard

Serves 2

Ingredients:
150g-180g chicken thigh
60g canola flower*
1tbsp Japanese mustard

Method:

Grill the chicken thigh in an oven. Bake 40g of canola flowers without oil and salt added. For the sauce, add 20g of boiled canola flowers with the chicken juice and puree in a food processor. Serve the grilled chicken thighs with baked canola flower, along with the canola flower puree and a dab of Japanese mustard.

*If you cannot find canola flowers in Hong Kong, substitute with choy sum.

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