Chicken Katsu Recipe

This is the Japanese version of your grandmother's fried chicken! You won't even miss the skin with the panko crust.

Ingredients:
Katsu Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tspn peeled, finely minced ginger
1 scallion, white part only, finely minced

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and seal. Place the bag on a cutting board and pound with a mallet until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick.
4. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Put the panko crumbs in a third bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip each piece into the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the panko.
5. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1 cup of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and cook until golden, turning once. Transfer pieces to the prepared baking sheet to drain excess oil. Spray another baking sheet with nonstick spray. Transfer chicken to the sprayed sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
6. Continue until all the chicken is cooked. Place the chicken on serving plates and serve with warm sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Japan [ print this recipe for Chicken Katsu ]