Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
Food Wishes · ♥ 22.2K likes · 560.3K views · 10 min video
Read about thighs in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 1 cloves large garlic clove
Grate one large garlic clove into a mixing bowl.
- 2–3 tsp freshly grated ginger root
Peel the ginger by scraping with a spoon and grate in about two or three teaspoons.
- soy sauce
- sake
- mirin
- sesame oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- cayenne
- white sugar
- salt
Add full-strength soy sauce, a little sake, mirin, a touch of sesame oil, black pepper, a few shakes of cayenne, a little sugar and a little salt; mix. All to taste.
Soy, sake, mirin and seasonings
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
Cut the boneless skinless thighs into pieces of about two inches, all roughly the same size.
Cutting the chicken thighs
Mix the chicken into the marinade very thoroughly, ending smooth side up; refrigerate 1 to 10 hours.
Dredge two or three pieces at a time generously in potato starch, shake off the excess and place on the rack; the starch hydrates and turns tan and sticky. Flip them and rub off any thick white spots.
Refrigerate uncovered 15 to 30 minutes to let the starch fully hydrate and dry a little; tap the rack to knock off loose bits.
Letting the starch hydrate
- oil
Fry in 350F oil without crowding for about 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through, crunchy and browned, stirring with a spider after about 30 seconds so they do not stick.
- fresh lemon
Drain a few seconds on paper towel and serve with lemon.
Draining, serving and tasting
Variation, twice-fried: fry as before but only 1.5 to 2 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature.
Fry a second time in 350F oil for about 2 minutes, until cooked through, crunchy and browned.