Plate Lunch Chicken Katsu
チキンカツ·(chikin katsu)
Aunty's Pantry: Mainland Supermarket Hacks
Pound the chicken to a quarter-inch thick and drop it into a cast-iron skillet, chasing the heavy styrofoam clamshells from a dented lunch wagon on Oahu's North Shore where supermarket panko meets bottled tonkatsu sauce. We borrow the 'batter-eki' liquid slurry, to bypass the messy three-step dredging station; it locks the panko tight, shatters when you bite it, and saves you doing extra dishes on a Tuesday night. Slice the cutlets into strips, flood them with the bottled sauce, and eat.
Before you start
Whisk together the local diaspora sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic powder until completely smooth, then set it in the fridge so the flavors can marry while you cook.
Pound the chicken thighs to an even thickness.
Place the thighs under plastic wrap and pound them with a heavy skillet or meat mallet to an even half-inch thickness so the inside cooks before the crust burns, then season both sides aggressively with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
- ketchup1/2 cup
- Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup
- soy sauce1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- garlic powder1/2 tsp
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- egg1 large
- all-purpose flour4 tbsp
- water2 tbsp
- panko breadcrumbs2 cup
- neutral oil2 cup
Method
- 01
Mix the secret batter liquid.
Whisk the egg, flour, and water in a wide bowl until it forms a thick, smooth, pancake-like slurry.
- 02
Dredge and press the chicken into the panko.
Submerge each seasoned thigh into the wet batter, let the excess drip off, and drop it into a second dish filled with the panko breadcrumbs, pressing firmly with your hands so the jagged flakes lock into the slurry.
- 03
Shallow fry the chicken to a perfect golden brown.
Heat a half-inch of neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet to 350°F, gently lay the chicken in away from you, and fry for four to five minutes a side until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp.
- 04
Rest the meat on a wire rack and slice into thick strips.
Pull the chicken from the oil and let it drain on a wire cooling rack for three minutes before slicing crosswise into one-inch strips.
Notes
Respect the wire cooling rack.
Resting fried foods on paper towels is a classic amateur mistake; the exiting steam condenses on the paper and instantly turns your meticulously crafted crust soggy.
Serve it the authentic plate lunch way.
A proper Hawaiian plate lunch is a holistic ecosystem. Serve this slightly overlapping on a bed of shredded cabbage, flanked by two tight scoops of white rice and one scoop of rich macaroni salad.
From Cook Hawaiian in America.