Izakaya Recipes: Chicken Karaage
Ingredients
Chicken Karaage
- 300 grams Chicken Thigh (Skin-on, Bone-Out)
Base Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Mirim (Rice Wine)
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- ½ teaspoon (!) Minced Ginger
- ½ teaspoon (!) Salt
- 4-5 cracks Black Pepper
Batter
- 1 whole Egg (NOTE: We'll only use ½ of it!!)
- 6 Tablespoons Potato Starch Powder
Dipping Sauce
- Few slices Lemon
- A scoop Mayonnaise
- Sprinkle of Gochugaru (Korean Red Chili Flakes) Optional
Instructions
Prep Chicken
- Use a few paper towels and pat the chicken pieces down on both sides. Pat-downany residual liquid off the surface of the chicken.
- Use a knife and cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces
Marinate Chicken
- Take out a mixing bowl. Place in Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Mirim (1 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (1 Tablespoon), Minced Ginger (½ teaspoon!), Salt (½ teaspoon!), Black Pepper (4-5 cracks). Then give it a good mix and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, crack one egg into a bowl. Then whisk it up.
- After 10 minutes of marinating, place in ONLY ½ of the beaten eggs into the marinating chicken. Then give it another good mix.
- Now, move the chicken into a plastic bag (or Ziploc Bag). Add in Potato Starch Powder (6 Tablespoons). Twist it shut and give it a thorough shake. We want to make sure that the potato starch gets evenly tossed over the chicken. After 2-3 minutes of tossing, the chicken should take on a light caramel color (reference video).
Cook Chicken
- Take out a pot. Place in a good amount of oil. Once oil is hot, place chicken in. Let it cook until you get a dark-brown.
- (If you are double-frying, cook once at 325 F/ 163 C until light-golden brown. Then take out and raise the temperature to 350 F/177 C. Fry once more until dark-brown).
- Plate the chicken. Serve with a few slices of lemon (make sure to squeeze the juice on before eating). Also serve with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side!