Rumaki is an old favorite, popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Many younger people have never tasted it. Rumaki was wildly popular at some of the best restaurants and served everywhere. I believe it's of Japanese origin, but during the 1960's, "Tropical Restaurants" and bars were in fashion, so there were some minor modifications and Rumaki became known as a "tropical" treat. Around that time, I sort of became hooked on the tropical trend, especially an old tropical fruit juice and rum drink known as a "Fogcutter." I'd order Rumaki to go with the Fogcutters and enjoy them before the Fogcutters put me on the floor. They have a nasty habit of sneaking up on you! LOL
Well, Rumaki sort of lost popularity, as did the tropical fare. Then, in the 1970's, I was very involved with political campaigns and fundraisers. In fact, I was a campaign manager for two state level campaigns during that time and always was looking for inexpensive ways to come up with snacks to serve when I'd have gatherings in my home. I decided to try Rumaki again and was so surprised! Everyone loved it! One State Senator I worked for could eat a couple of plates of it by himself. He was so surprised to see it...hadn't seen it in years and always requested that I make it.
So now, many more years have elapsed and I'm sure many people are totally unfamiliar with Rumaki. There's nothing new in the world...everything sort of recycles, so this is going to be my day to share and recycle Rumaki with you!
Before we start, I have to say there are many, many variations of Rumaki and I've prepared many of them. You can let your imagination run wild. And, I'm going to mention "chicken livers," but don't get put off by that until you try them this way!!! And, to compensate for using those words, I'm also going to say, "BACON," so stay tuned!
I'm going to give you my Rumaki recipe here and I'll suggest some other options, as well. Rumaki may be fried, baked or broiled. I always broil, as I do a lot of broiling and prefer that method.
Let's begin.
INGREDIENTS (makes 24 pieces)
1/4 Pound Fresh Chicken Livers
1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 Can Water Chestnuts
12 Slices Bacon
1 Clove Fresh Garlic (or minced garlic if you prefer)
Fresh Ginger Root
24 Toothpicks
PREPARATION
Put 1/3 cup of Teriyaki Sauce in a bowl, mixing in the diced or minced garlic. Rinse the chicken livers, remove any excess fat and cut the livers in half. Put the livers in the marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Be sure to save the rest of the Teriyaki Sauce for basting while broiling. Cut the bacon strips in half, crosswise. Peel the Ginger Root and cut 24 very thin slices. Rinse the Water Chestnuts several times to remove the taste of the can. While marinating the livers, allow the water chestnuts to sit in fresh water, after cutting them in half, if they are whole when you buy them. Put your toothpicks in a bowl of water and soak them for about an hour, so they don't burn up under the broiler heat.
Now, drain the marinade from the livers. Lay a strip of bacon on a flat surface. Place a piece of chicken liver on the bacon, near one end of the bacon strip. Now, place a sliver of Ginger Root on top of the liver, followed by a piece of Water Chestnut. Now, tightly roll the ingredients around the bacon strip, until you have the bacon fully wrapping the liver and other ingredients. Stick a toothpick through the Rumaki to hold it together while it cooks.
Place the pieces of Rumaki onto a broiler tray....I usually put down aluminum foil to avoid a mess. The Rumaki should be about 2 inches below the broiler flame. STAY WITH THE BROILER....YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUSY FOR A FEW MINUTES!
Broil the Rumaki for 4 minutes. Remove the broiler tray from the oven and turn the Rumaki pieces over. Now, back under the broiler for another 2 minutes. Remove the broiler pan again, flip the Rumaki over one more time, brush on the extra Teriyaki Sauce you have kept and give the Rumaki another 2 minutes under the broiler.
All done!! Remove the Rumaki from the broiler, put on a plate and serve immediately, while nice and hot! Enjoy!
COMMON VARIATIONS
As I say, Rumaki can be prepared in many ways. You may use Soy Sauce instead of Teriyaki Sauce....for marinade. Add a pinch of brown sugar on top of the piece of liver before cooking. Likewise, I've prepared Rumaki, rolling up a chunk of Pineapple with the chicken liver, instead of the Water Chestnut. Comes out great!! Use your imagination!
You may also choose to fry the Rumaki cooking in a small amount of Olive Oil. If you wish to bake the Rumaki, place the bacon on a flat baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes....not letting the bacon get crisp...before wrapping the Rumaki inside of it to bake.
I hope you enjoy this little dish from days gone by. If you have questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Likewise, you may subscribe to my Recipe Blog for new recipes as I add them. And be sure to share recipes you enjoy with family and friends.
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