Japanese fried chicken
With a delicious thin and crispy skin, these juicy chicken thighs are prepared with a sweet, sake-based marinade. Plus, they're served with a soy-ginger-wasabi dipping sauce.
SERVES
2
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken thighs, ideally skin on
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking wine) + 1 tablespoon for dipping sauce
- 1/3 cup sake
- 3 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated, ideally on a Microplane, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste
- Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup potato starch (available in Asian food stores and health food stores), or cornstarch
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Green onion, sliced, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Cut the chicken (skin, fat, and all) into 3/4 inch cubes. To a medium bowl or resealable plastic bag, add 1/3 cup each of soy sauce, mirin and sake, and two tablespoons ginger. Add the chicken, toss with the marinade, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour but ideally three to 24 hours.
Dipping sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining soy sauce and mirin, the wasabi, and the remaining ginger. Reserve for dipping.
- Preheat a deep fryer, or fill a tall, heavy, medium pot one-third full of oil. Heat the oil to 350F.
- While the oil is heating, drain off the chicken marinade. To a medium bowl, add the potato starch. Add the chicken a few pieces at a time and toss until each piece is well covered. Shake off the excess starch. Transfer the pieces to a drying rack or a plate and let rest for ten minutes.
- Divide the chicken into two batches and fry the first batch for three minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and cooked throughout. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the second batch.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion slices, and serve with the dipping sauce.
