Karaage

Posted byKazukoPosted inMeatTags:, , , , , , ,

Karaage is Japanese fried chicken. The recipe may not seem very different from the western version, except that we use soy sauce, which is the real game changer! Just like with Teriyaki Chicken, as long as you have soy sauce, you can prepare this dish anywhere in the world, which makes this delicious and wildly popular Japanese food even more wonderful!

Cooking time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS (2-3 Servings)
  1. Chicken: 300g (breasts or thighs)
  2. Garlic: 1 clove
  3. Ginger: Same size as garlic
  4. Soy sauce: 15g (1tbsp)
  5. Sake or white wine: 15g (1 tbsp)
  6. Egg: 1
  7. Potato starch or flour: 30g (4 tbsp)
BEFORE YOU START

Q. What part of chicken should I use?
You can use either thighs or breasts. Most Japanese people use thighs with the skin on, which becomes crispy & delicious when grilled. For this recipe I use thighs without skin but feel free to use any part you like.

Q. What is potato starch?
In Japan we use potato starch (or “katakuriko“) as a coating for fried food (and for many other purposes too).  Katakuriko (on the right in the picture) is whiter and softer than flour (left). If you can’t find it, use flour (or corn starch) instead. The finishing texture will be slightly different and the color will be darker but the difference will probably be unnoticeable to most people!

NOW, LET’S START!

1. Cut the chicken. Cut the chicken1 to about the size of chicken nuggets.  Start heating the pan, half-filled with vegetable oil (2-3cm or 1 inch deep) on medium heat.

2. Grate garlic and ginger. Now, while we heat the oil, we make the sauce. Grate the garlic2 and ginger3.

3. Prepare karaage sauce. Add the soy sauce4, sake5 and egg6 to the grated garlic and ginger, and mix well. The karaage sauce is done!

4. Pour the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix it well.

5. Marinate the chicken. Stab the chicken with a fork to help the chicken get tender and absorb the sauce well. *If you have some extra time, marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (or even a whole day!) to make the meat even tastier.

6. Coat with potato starch. Coat the chicken with potato starch7 (I use my chopsticks but you can use your hands if easier). If you prefer a crispier finish, shake the sauce off the chicken before coating. Add more potato starch if needed.

7. The coated chicken will more or less look like this.

8. Fry the chicken on medium heat. When the oil is heated (175C/350F or Level 6 out of 9 on my IH cooktop), dip in the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes. Flip the pieces that are not completely submerged in oil. The chicken is done when they turn lightly brown!

9. Fry again on high heat (Optional). If you have a few extra minutes to spare and want your chicken crispier, wait 5 minutes and fry it again on high heat for another 1 minute.

Now, enjoy your chicken while it’s hot and juicy! You can squeeze lemon over the chicken to add some zest if you wish. The key to making crispy karaage is to fry it quickly in medium hot oil. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer (I don’t), check carefully when you throw in the first piece of chicken. If you don’t get a lot of small bubbles, wait a little longer.