Chicken Katsu!

I love chicken katsu because there is no precise measuring needed at all. If attention and care is given, you really can't mess this one up. This recipe can also be substituted with beef or pork and still taste great. Restaurants tend to have their chicken very thin, to reduce cooking time and risk of undercooked chicken, but in the kitchen, you can have your meat a bit thicker for more substance.

Ingredients:
-chicken
-flour, salt, pepper
-whole egg
-panko bread crumbs
-cooking oil
-cabbage

note: raw meat should not be cut on wood because the bacteria absorb and transfer onto other uncooked foods, which share the same cutting board. recommendation: plastic


Buy chicken thighs from your local market/butcher. de-boned chicken means less work. You should cut the thigh pieces into smaller, more manageable pieces. I recommend buying chicken thighs instead of chicken breast because it's cheaper, but still tastes like chicken.


You'll want to cut your chicken thighs so the thickness is similar to that of a butterflied chicken breast so that it will cook quickly. Also cut away any large deposits of fat that you may not want; it may make parts of the chicken chewy


you should have a pile of all your chicken prepped to be breaded. you may also wash any of excess fat off with water.


I personally make an assembly line for the breading process. [L-R]: prepped chicken, generously salt and peppered flour, whisked eggs, panko bread crumbs. Dip your chicken in each pile: topical application of flour, quick dunks into the egg, and generous amount of panko on top.


your last plate should be for storing your breaded chicken. You can refrigerate the chicken until close to serving time


use wax paper to stack the layers of chicken. Paper towels will absorb the liquid from the chicken and egg, making the panko soggy, so try to avoid it.


chop a head of cabbage. This will be the bedding for the chicken. The remnant heat from the chicken should partially cook the cabbage so that it is tender, yet crisp. If you plan to set them separately, you should steam it.


this is the amount of oil I had to use. Crazy.... That's why it's a good idea to make large batches so the cooking process will be more even.


I prefer using a pot with higher opening; this minimizes sizzling oil from splattering out everywhere.


when the oil is hot enough, gently drop in a couple pieces of chicken just until they can move around loosely. Flip over after a few minutes or golden brown.


Early on, I had a few stray pieces of chicken, I save those and use them as a tester. cut it and check if it is cooked.


plate the hot chicken on the bed of cabbage. Any morsels of oil left over will be absorbed by the cabbage and cook/flavor it. yumm! If you want to be healthier, you can use a paper towel.

Condiments: most people will have this with tonkatsu sauce, which is delicious and can be bought at the market. I personally also like to pair it with thai sweet and sour chili sauce. Because it's another form of fried chicken, you really can't go wrong with any sauce on top, just don't over do it...

I'd like to thank Justin E. for first demonstrating how to make this dish, while catering at a banquet.