How to make savory and crispy 'chicken karaage'

Savory and crispy chicken karaage. Karaage is a general term for Japanese dishes where ingredients such as chicken or fish are coated in flour or starch and deep-fried.

While chicken karaage is similar to fried chicken, it can be considered a significantly different dish. Although the process is similar to making fried chicken, it differs in that it uses flour or starch instead of eggs and water. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of chicken karaage and how it is prepared.

How to make 'chicken karaage' using various ingredients

First, let's look at the basic method for making chicken karaage. Ingredients needed include 300g chicken thigh, 3 cabbage leaves, 1/2 lemon (optional), 1 cup starch powder, 1/2 cup milk, and an appropriate amount of frying oil. For seasoning, prepare 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1/2 tablespoon ginger juice (or 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder), two pinches of salt, and a bit of pepper.

First, soak the chicken thighs in milk for about 10 minutes. Then rinse them in water to remove the milk residue, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and marinate them with the seasoning ingredients for about 30 minutes. Finely shred the cabbage, soak it in cold water, and drain it. Coat the marinated chicken evenly with starch, shake off the excess, and fry it in oil at 160°C until cooked. Fry it once more until golden brown.

It is good to serve chicken karaage with cabbage salad, lemon, etc. Unlike chicken wings or boneless chicken, chicken karaage tastes better when eaten with soy sauce. Let's look at how to make a karaage sauce that pairs well with it. Main ingredients include 300mL water, 70mL mirin, 70g sugar, 70g dark soy sauce, 1/2 stalk green onion, 1/2 onion, 1/2 ginger, 50g carrot, 3 dried anchovies (dipori), 20g cinnamon sticks, 3 dried red peppers, and 100g radish.

First, cut the green onion, onion, carrot, and ginger into finger-sized pieces, and divide the ginger into four parts. Rinse the cinnamon with water. Put all the ingredients except the radish in a pot and simmer over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, continue simmering until the carrot is soft, then strain out the solids and let the sauce cool. Grate the radish and squeeze out its juice, then serve small amounts of the grated radish with the sauce to complete the soy sauce karaage sauce.

Using rice flour can make it crispier

In the case of chicken karaage, flour and starch are generally used, but using rice flour allows you to enjoy an even crispier texture. If you want very tender chicken karaage, it is good to add eggs or milk. However, if you add too much, the skin may feel soggy, so it is necessary to adjust appropriately.

Seasoned karaage flour mixes are now also available, so such products can be useful if adjusting the quantities or proportions is difficult. One advantage of karaage is that it remains tasty even when cold. It is good dipped in sauces such as soy sauce, but its flavor can also be enjoyed on its own. Chicken karaage is excellent both as a side dish in children's lunchboxes and as a snack with beer.

[Fam Times = Reporter Hong Seung-beom]