How to Make Japanese Karaage Chicken

August 18, 2011

Japan loves fried chicken, but it's not the same fried chicken we're used to seeing in our local takeaways - the batter on Japanese fried chicken is much lighter, crisper and, in our opinion, much more delicious. It's not just any old chicken that's the centre piece of this dish either - the chicken is moist and juicy because it's marinated in a mouthwatering mix of ginger, soy sauce, sake and mirin. 

On top of that, the batter is slightly spiced and addictively crisp. Once you try this recipe for fried chicken, you'll never want any other again!

Here's what you will need:

• 1 Lb of Boneless, skinless chicken breast.
• 2 Tbsp Ginger juice (you can obtain this by crushing a stem of ginger in a mortar and pestle.)
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 6 Tbsp Sake
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
• Cornstarch
• Vegetable Oil
• Sesame Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Japanese Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp White Miso
• 2 Tbsp Japanese Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tsp Honey
• Dash of Sugar

How to Make Japanese Fried Chicken

Marinate the chicken in a mix of ginger juice, soy, sake and mirin for at least 30 minutes to infuse all those delicious flavours. When ready, remove the chicken from the marinade and coat it in corn starch.

Next make the dip to accompany your fried chicken, mix together mayonnaise, miso, rice wine vinegar, honey and sugar. 

To get your chicken really crispy and delicious, you'll need to twice fry it. Place the cornstarch coated chicken in a pan of deep, hot oil and fry until golden before removing. Leave to rest for ten minutes, then add to the hot oil and fry again until a dark, golden brown. 

Sit on a piece of kitchen roll for a moment to drain excess oil, then serve hot with the mayonnaise for dipping. It doesn't get better than this!