Crunchy Japanese Chicken

Ingredients

  • Skinless boneless chicken thigh 1 lb (about two large thighs)
  • All-purpose flour 2 heaping tbsp
  • 1 egg
  • Potato starch or corn starch for battering
  • Oil for frying
  • Marinade
  • Minced garlic 5 cloves
  • Minced ginger ½ inch piece
  • Soy sauce 3 tbsp
  • Cooking sake 2 tbsp

Directions

  • Slice the chicken thigh into 7-8 large chunks (refer to the video for a visual aid) and add into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the MARINADE ingredients to the chicken and mix well. Allow the meat to marinade for 10 minutes.
  • Pour out the excess marinade liquid into a separate bowl and set aside.
  • Beat 1 egg and add it to the meat and mix to combine.
  • Add the flour and mix well until no dry flour is visible.
  • Pour the potato starch into a shallow tray and pour in the reserved marinade liquid. Mix the liquid into the starch and press down on any large lumps to create small nuggets. These will add extra crunch to the batter.
  • Batter the chicken pieces in the potato starch one by one (refer to the video for a visual aid). Then lay them onto a sheet, making sure that they are not touching each other. Allow them to sit in the open for five minutes for the outside to dry out. This ensures a crunchier crust on the chicken.
  • Add enough oil for frying to a large pot and heat it to 180 celcius (about 350 F). I highly recommend the use of a kitchen thermometer, as it will ensure that your oil is at the perfect temperature.
  • Triple Fry Technique
  • Add the chicken to the oil, piece by piece. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Allow the pieces to sit in the oil, undisturbed for about 15 seconds. Then, gently move them around, making sure that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Allow them to continue frying for another 45 seconds (1 minute in total), gently agitating them in the oil.
  • Remove the pieces from the oil onto a draining pan and allow them to rest for 30 seconds.
  • Add the partially cooked chicken back into the oil and fry them for 1 minute.
  • Remove the pieces from the oil again for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the partially cooked chicken back into the oil for one final minute. Remove from the oil and drain well. Continue cooking the rest of the chicken using this triple fry technique.
  • Optional Add the shishito peppers (or jalapenos) to the oil and fry until the skin begins to blister, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Be careful of popping oil. Remove from oil and allow to drain.
  • Pile the chicken onto a plate. Garnish with peppers and slices of lemon. Add a dollop of mayonnaise and sprinkle Japanese 7-spice powder onto the mayonnaise. Serve immediately.