Chicken Katsu

Chicken Katsu is one of those dishes I usually get as a combo with my teriyaki. It's crunchy texture, juicy chicken and tangy sauce makes for a killer dish. The thing that always gets me when ordering it from a restaurant is that they really don't pay much attention to the chicken itself, they just kind of bread it and deep fry it and leave it up to the dipping sauce to supply all the flavor. That's what I have changed with my recipe.

I take my boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or you could use pork cutlets or chicken breast) and marinade it in a soy based sauce for about an hour or so. That makes it so when you bite into it, you get crunchy then a nice sweet, savory taste behind it. Hope you all like it let me know what you think.

Marinade
- 1 cup soy
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon chili, garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 2 cup red rice wine
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil

Chicken
- 8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup mochiko flour
- 4 egg whites, whipped until frothy
- peanut oil for frying

The Process
1. Combine all the ingredients for a marinade in a medium sized bowl and mix well. Add the chiken, stir well to make sure the chicken is evenly coated, then place in fridge for 1 hour to overnight.
2. While the chicken is marinating combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mirin, rice wine and sugar in a bowl and stir with a wire whisk until the sugar has dissolved. In medium sauce pan over medium heat heat the peanut oil until hot. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ketchup mixture and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover and let reduce for about half an hour. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Get 3 medium sized, rimmed containers and place panko in one, egg whites in another and the flour in the last. Heat the peanut oil, about 1/2 an inch, in the bottom of a heavy bottom pan such as cast iron over medium heat. While the oil is heating up take the chicken and drain off the excess liquid. Take each piece of chicken, place in flour until evenly coated, shake off excess flour then place in egg whites until coated, then place in panko until completely covered in the breading. Repeat for each piece of chicken.
4. When oil is heated, add the chicken and fry on each side until the breading is golden brown on each side about 5 minutes per side. Take the cooked pieced and place on a paper towel to allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Take the chicken and either slice it into strips or leave it whole. Serve over rice along with the sauce in a small bowl or ramekin.
6. Enjoy!!!