Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

If using bone-in chicken thighs, debone them and remove any excess fat. Cut the thighs into bite-sized pieces (about 2 inches).

To brine the chicken, in a bowl, mix the water, salt, and sugar. Place the chicken in the brine and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature. If the environment is warm (>30°C), use very cold water to maintain a safe temperature.

Alternatively, you can massage the chicken with sugar and then move on to the next step.

Drain the chicken and pat it dry (skip this step if using sugar). In a separate bowl, combine the kewpie mayo, sake, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, MSG and nutmeg (or all spice/graham masala). Mix well, then add the cake flour and combine. Allow the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.

In another bowl, mix the starch or flour (I typically use a 1:1 mix of rice flour and corn starch).

Stretch the chicken skin around the meat and shape it into a ball and coat in starch mixture, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Place the coated chicken on a tray and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the coating to moisten (if you’re in a hurry, you can lightly spray it with water).

Add oil to a deep pan 3.5 cm high from the base and eat over medium high heat to 160°C-170°C (320°F – 338°F).

Once it reaches temperature, reduce to medium. Fry the chicken for 1 minute, then flip and fry for an additional 2 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 70-75°C (160-165°F). Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes to allow residual heat to finish cooking.

Next, increase the oil temperature to 180-200°C (360-400°F) and fry the chicken until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

For smaller pieces (under 30 g), fry at 180°C (350°F) for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, no need to double fry.

Place the fried chicken on a wire rack to drain excess oil and let it rest before serving.

Plate alongside salad or shredded cabbage if desired. Serve with lemon juice, Japanese mayo and schimi, and enjoy!!