Chicken katsu, one of those exquisitely done Japanese morsels of fried cutlet done just right. Golden, crunchy and juicily subtle. These breaded pieces of fried chicken encompass the elegance that somehow a chicken bucket does not. Either cut into dainty strips or fried in small portions, chicken Katsu is a sure fire easy as breath and quick to jeuje up fantastical dish that everyone can easily have in their repertoire.
it’s done pretty much the same way you would these fish fingers . The principles are the same and so is the technique, though you can play around with how you’d like these cutlets to taste. The usual fare of eggs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, flour, bread crumbs and chicken breasts that I have sliced into fillets.
The one thing to note here is that instead of regular breadcrumbs Panko breadcrumbs would be more appropriate while preparing katsu, but all I could find in the grocery store were ‘Japanese style breadcrumbs’.
begin by seasoning the chicken with garlic powder
pepper
and salt
smoosh them together until chicken is well coated and let it rest while we get on with the breading station.
I used two plastic food bags to coat and bread the chicken because I didn’t think I wanted to wash too many dishes, and this just works.
Season the breadcrumbs with some paprika because it helps brings out a better colour when fried.
flour in another plastic food bag.
so here you have it. the stage is set for frying
Into the flour
coat it well
followed by an egg bath
after which a casual lay about in grainy crumbs
you can also scrunch about the plastic bag to make sure it’s all coated.
It hardly takes time and before you know it, there are three richly swaddled pieces of chicken sitting pretty on your station.
You can deep fry these if you want, but I’m totally into shallow frying things, because deep frying makes me nervous.
Lay these gently in a pan once the oil is hot and cook each side for 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of chicken pieces until the outside is bronzed and crisp while the insides retain their juiciness without being overdone or undercooked.
fish them out on a paper towel to let them drain
check for doneness if you want. This one was well done, moist and delightfully flavourful
serve with fresh vegetables or salad or even fries if you want. I like mine with a bit of steamed broccoli.
Chicken katsu Ingredients
Bread crumbs: 75 g (1 cup)
Flour: 60g (1/2 cup)
Garlic powder: 1 tsp
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp (the image shows 1 tsp, but 1/2 tsp should be enough, or to taste)
Paprika: 1/2 tsp
Eggs: 2
Chicken breast: 150 g either sliced to fillets or flattened out to quicken and ensure even cooking.
Oil for frying
Recipe instructions – Coat the chicken evenly with garlic powder, pepper and salt and let it marinade for a few minutes.
In separate dishes assemble the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs. Add paprika to the breadcrumbs.
Coat the chicken first with flour, followed by eggs and then breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, slowly place the breaded chicken pieces. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the exterior is crisped up well and the insides are cooked. It’s for this reason you don’t want to use a thick piece of meat.
Drain on a paper towel for a minute and cut through to check for doneness.
Serve hot and crunchy with a cooling salad or steamed vegetables.
Enjoy!
Driedredchillies 