ISO Chicken Karaage Recipe

[elmomonster]

I want to make chicken karaage. These are often called "Sesame Fried Chicken" in Japanese restaurants. Very delicate morsels of chicken, lightly battered and deep fried. The coating is not overpoweringly thick and is actually crisp and light. I've found recipes on the Net but they are suspiciously non-authentic.

Anyone out there with a good recipe?

If not...how about recipes for fried chicken strips a'la KFC?

[Yukari (chicken little)]

I can help with this as we just covered the topic at the culinary school I am attending in Tokyo.

Marinate chicken meat (either on the bone or off, as you like) in the following marinade:

6 Tbsp. sake
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated ginger juice (grate fresh ginger, then squeeze the juice and throw away the fibrous part)

I also like to add a splash of sesame oil. (optional)

Marinate for an hour. The ginger juice will help soften the meat.

Roll in cornstarch and brush off excess.

Deep-fry in oil twice. First time at 160 degrees centigrade. Until starts to float. Take out of oil, let cool for about 2 minutes (this allows the juice in the meat to return towards the outer part).

Then, quickly at 180 degrees centigrade to give it a crunchy outside.

Sorry, our class is in Japanese and I only have centigrade temperatures.

Garnish with a slice of lemon and voila. Can be eaten hot (preferred) or as in Japan, at room temperature as part of a bento box. We also served it in class with a blend of salt and dried, ground sansho pepper as a dip.

Warning - very addictive.

Happy chowing.

[elmomonster]

Excellent! Domo arigato gozaimasu!

[chicken little]

Watch out that you do not turn into a chicken. If you have any problems, feel free to email me directly.

I was a summer camp administrator at a Japanese language immersion camp. I served this dish the first night that the students arrived at camp. It was a huge success!

Itadakimasu!

[KirkK]

Yukari's recipe sounds great - I think I'll try it. Currently I use this recipe, ended having to make 10lbs of this for the office party:

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into cubes 1-1/2"x 1-1/2".

The Marinade:
1/4 cup shoyu (not Kikkoman)
1/4 cup mirin
3 TB Sake
1 TB finely grated ginger
4 cloves garlic finely minced
Togarashi to taste
a dash of Allspice/5 spice

Combine ingredients and marinade chicken for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from marinade and drain.

Put 1 cup potato starch into a pan or large bowl, add the chicken cubes and coat with starch, pat to remove excess starch.

Deep fry chicken in 350 degree vegetable oil until cooked and cubes are crisp and golden - drain and serve with lemon wedges.....

[jennyantepenultimate]

Just wondering, why not Kikkoman?

[KirkK]

To me, Kikkoman has a distinct taste profile, and this saltyness and taste permeates food when used in larger quantities such as marinades. Whereas brands such as Yamasa and Aloha, have a more neutral taste, and thus are better for marinades. Maybe someone else can explain better than I? I use Kikkoman for sashimi, ramen, and as a matter of fact I like to eat my Kaarage with a mustard/soy dipping sauce in which I use Kikkoman. But if you like Kikkoman for marinades - by all means use Kikkoman!