Karaage: Japanese Fried Chicken

The juicy and umami packed chicken is double fried to make it deliciously crispy. Marinating the chicken in various aromatics and seasonings imparts the chicken with a sweet, salty, and slightly hot flavour, unlike any chicken in the world. A creamy mayonnaise and dash of lemon is the perfect balance and garnish for karaage.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken thighs (500 g/ 1 lb)
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
• 4 tbsp all purpose flour
• Neutal-flavoured oil (enough to fill a deep saucepan ½ full)

Marinade:

• a knob of ginger 3 cm (1 ⅕ inch)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp sake
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Garnishes:

• kewpie mayonnaise
• lemon

How to make karaage:

• Cut the chicken into 5 cm (2- inch) pieces and season with salt and pepper.
• Grate the ginger and garlic. Combine with the rest of the marinade.
• Place the chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and marinade for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan to 160 ºC/ 320 °F.
• Combine the cornstarch and all purpose flour in a bowl.
• Coat the chicken piece by piece and place on a tray.
• Fry the chicken for around 2 minutes till a very light brown. Place on a wire rack.
• Using a fine mesh sieve, clean the oil. Heat the oil to 180 ºC/ 356°F.
• Fry the chicken again for around 1 minute or until golden brown. This will help give a crispy exterior.
• Serve with a side of mayonnaise and a wedge of lemon.

Notes

If you don’t have mirin available, check out this list of mirin substitutes.