Japanese Karaage Fried Chicken, Crisp and Full of Flavour

The Dish blends we recommend for this recipe. Dish Symphony No.1 Dish Symphony No.2 Dish Symphony No.3

Adults and children alike keep reaching for another piece.
Japanese karaage fried chicken, crisp and full of flavour

Something everyone can eat, that you can make plenty of, that is kind on the budget and light on effort. What shall we cook tonight?

When that is the question, make karaage (Japanese fried chicken) with Dish.

Rub chicken thigh with the Dish flavour you like and the seasonings, coat it in potato starch, and fry. For a child, nothing beats the karaage their mother makes at home.

What sets it apart from your usual karaage is whether or not there is Dish in it. And it really is good.

You might worry that children will refuse it once there is spice flavour in there, but from what we see and hear, they say it is delicious and eat it happily. Hearing a child say that is the best thing there is.

Do not tell them you seasoned it with spices. Just bring it out as usual and watch how they react. For what it is worth, the flavour children take to most is Dish 2.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Chicken thigh: 600g
• Marinade
• Dish: 2 tsp
• Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
• Mirin: 2 tbsp
• Grated garlic: 1 tbsp
• Salt: 2 tsp (a guide for 600g of meat)
• Potato starch (katakuriko): about 6 tbsp
• Oil for deep frying: as needed
• To serve
• Lemon

Preparation

• Pierce the chicken thigh in several places with a fork and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients together.

Method

1. Put the marinade ingredients into a bowl with the chicken, rub it in well, cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Drain off the liquid in the bowl, then coat everything in 6 tbsp of potato starch.
   
   
3. Pour oil for deep frying into the pan to a depth of about 4cm and fry for 4 minutes, aiming to hold the oil at 170 degrees.
   
   
4. Lift the chicken out onto a tray lined with baking paper and leave it for about 5 minutes. (Frying the rest of the chicken in the meantime gives it that time naturally, and the residual heat cooks it through.)
   
   
5. Raise the oil temperature to 190 degrees, return the once-fried chicken to the pan, and fry for 2 minutes.
   
   
6. Arrange on a plate with lemon and serve.
   
   

Keys to a crisp karaage Double frying: this extra step is what gives it a really crisp texture. It also means you will not bite into a piece and find it undercooked. Potato starch: using potato starch rather than wheat flour is what makes the coating crisp.