Karaage: Japanese fried chicken

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken thighs with skin, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
• Marinade: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake (or dry white wine), 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 4–5 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch
• Neutral frying oil
• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the marinade and leave for 20 minutes (up to 2 hours in the fridge).
2. Drain the pieces lightly and coat them in starch just before frying, patting off the excess.
3. Heat the oil to 170 °C. Fry for 3–4 minutes without crowding the pan, then remove the pieces and rest them for 3 minutes on a rack.
4. Raise the oil to 190 °C and put the chicken back in for 1 minute for a really crisp crust.
5. Check that the meat is no longer pink in the middle. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Air-fryer version

• The marinade and starch coating are the same. Pat off the excess well to avoid floury patches.
• Preheat the basket to 180 °C for 3 minutes. Spray a little oil over the chicken (about 1 tbsp).
• Place the pieces skin side down, without overlapping, and cook for 10 minutes at 180 °C.
• Turn them over and continue for 5–7 minutes at 180 °C.
• For a really crisp crust, finish with 2–3 minutes at 200 °C.
• Check that the meat is no longer pink in the middle (75 °C at the core at least). Do not fill the basket more than 80%.

Tips

• Double frying is the key to crispness: the first fry cooks it through, the second browns it.
• Starch gives a lighter, crunchier crust than flour.
• Without a thermometer: a small cube of bread dropped into the oil should turn golden in about 30 seconds.
• Be careful with frying: never leave hot oil unattended.

Wine pairing

Bubbles and freshness go well with the crunch and the ginger. The editors’ suggestion is based on the flavours of the dish and the style of the wine: adapt it to your taste.

• Worth trying: white Crémant de Bordeaux brut
• At the wine shop, say which style you want: dry, lightly oaked or with supple tannins.