MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Chicken Katsu
Categories: Poultry, Breads, Vegetables
Yield: 2 servings
10 oz Boned, skinned chicken
1/2 ts Kosher salt
1/8 ts Fresh ground black pepper
3 c Neutral oil; for
- deep-frying
3 tb A-P flour
1 c Panko
1 lg Egg
1/2 tb Neutral oil
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Tonkatsu sauce
Shredded green cabbage
- (optional)
Japanese Sesame Dressing
- (optional)
Tomato (optional)
Butterfly the chicken breast so the meat is thinner and cooks faster;
read more details in my blog post. To butterfly the chicken breast,
split it horizontally from the side (stopping before you cut all the
way through it) and open it like a book. When you open the breast,
the two sides will mirror each other, resembling a butterfly (see how
in my video). Here, I'd also like to demonstrate the Japanese cutting
technique Kannon biraki (????) to butterfly the chicken breast. With a
sharp knife, score the middle of 1 piece boneless, skinless chicken
breast from the top about halfway through the thickness of the breast;
do not cut completely through.
Then, turn the knife parallel to the cutting board and slice the
chicken from the center toward the left side (or the right side, if
you're left-handed) to make it evenly thin. Stop before you cut all
the way through it, and open it like a book. Imagine we're creating a
French door here.
Turn the chicken 180 degrees and butterfly the second side from the
center toward the left, creating another "door."
Cut the chicken in half down the center. Now you have two pieces.
With a meat mallet or the back of the knife, pound the chicken to an
even thickness, about 1/4" to 1/2" (6 mm to 1.3 cm). Season both sides
of the chicken with 1/2 ts kosher salt and 1/8 ts freshly ground
black pepper.
Add 3 cups neutral oil to a medium-size, heavy-bottomed pot. Add
enough oil so it is 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) deep in the pot; dip a
chopstick in the oil to measure. If you use a large pot, you will
need to add more oil to get it 1 1/2" deep. Start heating the oil to
340°F (170°C) over medium-low heat (or low heat, if you need more
time to bread the chicken). For the breading, prepare three bowls or
trays: One with 3 tb all-purpose flour (plain flour), one with 1
cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), and one with 1 large egg (50 g each
without shell).
Add 1/2 tb neutral oil to the egg and whisk it together. Coat the
chicken with the flour and shake off any excess. Then, coat it with
the beaten egg.
Finally, coat the chicken with the panko, pressing the panko into the
cutlet so that it adheres well. Remove any excess. Repeat with the
remaining chicken piece.
If you are new to deep-frying, read my How to Deep Fry Food page and
get an instant-read thermometer to check the oil temperature. Heat
the oil to 340°F (170°C). I use medium heat throughout deep-frying,
but please increase or decrease the heat to maintain the target oil
temperature.
When, the oil is at the correct temperature, add one piece of breaded
chicken. Fry one piece at a time. Deep-fry for a total of 3 minutes,
turning the chicken once at the halfway point. Tip: Do not overcrowd
the pot. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about
half of the oil surface area at any one time. If you add too much
food at once, the temperature of the oil will drop quickly and the
chicken will absorb too much oil.
Deep-fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove the cutlet from the
oil and hold it vertically over the pot for a few seconds to drain the
excess oil. Then, transfer it to a wire rack or paper towel-lined
tray. If possible, keep it on its side to drain the excess oil.
Collect all the crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh skimmer before you
add the next piece of chicken. If you don't clean up these crumbs,
they will burn and the oil will get darker. Make sure to keep the oil
clean throughout deep-frying.
Cut the chicken into 1" (2.5 cm) pieces and serve it with tonkatsu
sauce.
Recipe by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
RECIPE FROM:
https://www.justonecookbook.com
Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
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