Chicken Karaage

Method

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1. Combine the soy, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil in a bowl. Add the chicken and massage it in.

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2. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours refrigerated. Longer than that and the soy starts to cure the meat firm.

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3. Mix the potato starch and flour on a plate. Lift each piece of chicken out, let the excess marinade drip off, and press it into the starch on all sides.

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4. Rest the coated pieces on a rack for 5 minutes so the starch hydrates into a paste that will not fall off in the oil.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

5. Heat the oil to 160°C / 320°F. Fry in batches of six or seven for 4 minutes, turning once. The chicken will be pale. Drain on a rack.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

6. Rest the chicken for 4 minutes while you raise the oil to 190°C / 375°F.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

7. Fry again for 60 to 90 seconds until deep gold and audibly crisp. Drain, salt lightly, and serve at once with lemon and mayonnaise.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

Chef’s Tips

• Thigh, not breast. Karaage relies on the fat in thigh meat to stay juicy through two fryings.
• Potato starch and cornflour are not interchangeable. Cornflour gives a softer, slightly chalky crust.
• Do not crowd the pan. Six pieces at a time keeps the oil temperature stable, which is the whole game in frying.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A very cold lager or highball
• Shredded cabbage with ponzu
• Steamed rice and miso soup

Storage & Reheating

Best immediately. Refrigerate up to 2 days and re-crisp in a 200°C / 390°F oven for 8 minutes; never microwave it.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.