I was introduced to this Japanese rendition of meatloaf by my friend and mentor for all things Japanese, Tadashi Oko, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for helping me to pin down the recipe, which he carries around in his head, into words.

Some tips. Use a cast iron skillet, if you can. They hold and distribute heat perfectly for the slowish cooking this recipe requires. I have used a 22cm (8 inch) pan (that’s it in the photo) and a 27cm (10 inch) pan, and both work.

The chicken mince needs to be made from thigh meat, or at least have some dark meat ground into it; all breast is too lean and the result will be too dry.

Kuzu, used to thicken the glaze, is not easy to find outside of speciality stores. You can substitute arrowroot quite happily. At a pinch, use cornflour, though the glaze will be cloudy rather than glossy and clear.

Like all meatloaf, this makes sensational next-day sandwiches. We pile it up with shredded cos lettuce and a generous squiggle of Kewpie mayonnaise.

Japanese chicken meatloaf

Serves 6–8.

750g minced chicken (preferably thigh)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
4 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
60g panko
1 egg
50g lotus root, sliced

for the glaze:
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon kuzu (crushed) or arrowroot

In a roomy bowl, mix together the chicken, spring onions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, miso, soy sauce, mirin, panko and egg with your hands until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 22cm (8 inch) frying pan or skillet. Smooth the top with damp hands and press the slices of lotus root into the top.

Cook gently over medium-low heat until you see that the edges are beginning to cook, about 20 minutes. (This will also depend on how cold the mince was to start with, so be patient.)

Turn the heat up and cook for about 5 minutes. The edges will come away from the edges of the pan.

Make the glaze by mixing the mirin, soy sauce and water in a small pan. Whisk in the kuzu or arrowroot and bring to a bubble over medium heat. Stir until thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat.

Set your grill (broiler) to high heat. Cook the meatloaf under the grill for 5 minutes, to seal, then brush with glaze and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, brushing regularly with the glaze. Check that the meatloaf is completely cooked through, and pour over any remaining glaze. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.