Karaage
Photography Josh Griggs.
The key to outrageously crunchy karaage is frying the chicken twice – totally worth the effort!
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
MARINADE
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons caster sugar
700 grams boneless chicken thighs, skin-on if you like
TO COOK AND SERVE
2 cups potato starch (I bought mine at an Asian supermarket)
3 cups vegetable oil
½ cup Japanese mayonnaise, e.g., Kewpie
togarashi seasoning or sea salt
EQUIPMENT: Line an oven tray with baking paper and a cooling rack with scrunched-up kitchen towels.
METHOD
MARINADE: Put everything except the chicken in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Remove the skin from the chicken or leave it on. Traditionally it is left on, but I prefer it removed. Cut each thigh into 2-3 pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade and mix well to ensure each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
TO COOK: Use tongs or chopsticks to drop the chicken into the potato starch and coat well, then put on the lined tray until needed.
Heat the oil in a large pot until a piece of bread dropped in rises to the surface and turns golden in about 30 seconds.
Fry the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Drain on the kitchen towels, then use a slotted spoon to scoop out any batter that has dropped off into the oil. Fry the chicken a second time, just for a minute, until golden and super-crunchy.
Serve immediately with Japanese mayonnaise and a sprinkling of togarashi seasoning and/or sea salt.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.