Chicken Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
Fowl Mouths began life as a supperclub in my home, and chicken karaage was the dish it was based upon.
The Japanese iteration of fried chicken is incredible. It’s packed with flavour and is relatively light, given it’s skinless and is dredged in potato starch rather than flour. It’s also twice-fried, which is a method I now use for frying a lot of things as it guarantees really succulent yet crispy results.
Here is my recipe. My sister-in-law showed me hers, and then over time it became more mine. I think the biggest change was intensifying the flavours as I always found myself wanting a bigger and bigger hit.
It works best with the listed ingredients. But don’t feel like you can’t make it if you don’t have mirin and sake, as it a dish that rewards a bit of resourcefulness. For mirin, you can substitute a mix of white wine and fortified wine. Or just white wine, with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. The same with sake. It’s not cheap so don’t rush out to buy a bottle for the sake of this dish (though you may end up making this again and again….
Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
10 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
Marinade:
4tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp sesame oil
4tbsp mirin (if you really can’t get hold of mirin, you can substitute with a combination of sweet fortified wine and white wine, or just white wine if that’s all you have, If using just white wine, add ½ tsp sugar to it)
2tbsp sake
3tbsp grated ginger
3 garlic gloves, crushed
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Potato starch for dredging
Veg oil for deep-frying (sunflower, rapeseed etc)
Method:
Cut thighs into three or four pieces of at least 2ins big. Mix all marinade ingredients and marinate chicken for at least 4 hrs, ideally overnight.
Heat oil to 130C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a piece of ginger and it should bubble but not crazily.
Set up a wire rack over a tray - one from an oven tray will be fine.
Dredge chicken pieces in the potato starch, ensuring you cover as much of the flesh as poss. Leave them to rest in a bowl, not touching each other. Repeat til they're all coated and leave for a few mins.
Add to the oil, only a few pieces at a time and never on top or touching each other. Cook for around 6 mins 30 secs before removing with a slotted spoon and drain on the wire rack.
Turn oil up to 180c and add the chicken back. Cook for about 60 seconds, to colour and crisp. Repeat. Drain.
Serve with a wedge of lemon and some mayonnaise. Or turn into a meal with rice and coleslaw.
