Chicken Karaage

Name: Chicken Karaage
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 450 g boneless skin-on chicken thighs; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 1 clove garlic, grated; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sake (or dry sherry); 2 tsp granulated sugar; 0.33 cup potato starch (katakuriko); 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

From the kitchen of Carly

Japanese fried chicken at its purest: thigh meat marinated in soy, ginger, and sake, then dredged in potato starch and fried until shatter-crisp. Lemon wedges, a cold beer, done. Don't skip the second fry. The first cook gets it done; the second turns it into the karaage you remember from Tokyo.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

450 gboneless skin-on chicken thighs
1 tbspfresh ginger, grated
1 clovegarlic, grated
2 tbspsoy sauce
1 tbspsake (or dry sherry)
2 tspgranulated sugar
0.33 cuppotato starch (katakuriko)
2 cupsvegetable oil, for frying
1lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inch chunks.
In a bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, ideally 2 to 4.
When you're ready to fry, pour 1 inch of oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 360°F (180°C). Use a thermometer if you have one; otherwise, the handle of a wooden spoon should bubble vigorously when dipped in.
While the oil heats, line a wire rack with paper towels and set it nearby.
Put the potato starch in a wide bowl. Working a few pieces at a time, lift the chicken out of the marinade (don't shake off too much; the wet bits help the starch stick). Toss in the starch until evenly coated.
Fry in batches of 5 or 6 pieces, never crowding. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until medium golden brown and cooked through. Lift onto the wire rack to drain.
For extra-crispy chicken (worth the effort), let everything cool 5 minutes, then fry a second time for 60 seconds until deeply golden.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Substitutions

potato starch to cornstarch. Cornstarch works but the crust is slightly less glassy. Potato starch is what makes karaage karaage.
sake to dry sherry, rice wine, or white wine. All work. In a real pinch, water plus a splash of vinegar.
chicken thighs to chicken breast. Thighs forgive overcooking; breasts dry out fast. If you must use breast, cut bigger chunks and fry less.

Pairs well with: Cold lager or a Japanese highball, Kewpie mayo on the side for dipping, Quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar

Adapted from TheMealDB.