Korea and Japan · Volume 53, The Grill, the Broth and the Sealed Port
Karaage, Kyushu's fried chicken
Oita, Kyushu
Illustration
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Researched
- Researched from 87 sources in the brief
The general term predates the modern dish by centuries, tracing to Edo period fucha ryori temple cooking, where it described fried tofu or vegetables rather than meat. The modern chicken dish and its Oita branding are a distinct, much later layer, contested between Usa, home to Rairaiken and the specialty shop Shosuke that inherited its recipe, and Nakatsu, recognised by the Japan Karaage Association as karaage's "sacred ground" though its own branded identity only dates to 2003. Both towns are named here, since the dispute was resolved by dual recognition rather than a single winner.
As tradition built it
Serves four. About 30 minutes, plus marinating.
Ingredients
- 800g boneless, skin on chicken thigh, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 15g ginger, grated
- a pinch a pinch of sugar
- as needed potato starch, for coating
- as needed oil, for deep frying
- a wedge lemon, to serve
Method
- Marinate the boneless, skin on chicken thigh for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight, in the soy sauce, sake, garlic, ginger and sugar.
- Drain, then coat lightly in potato starch, shaking off the excess.
- Deep fry in oil at 160 degrees Celsius for two minutes to cook through, then rest for a minute.
- Fry a second time at 180 degrees Celsius for a further minute to crisp the surface hard.
- Drain and serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.
What a modern chef changes
A vacuum marinade, a dehydrated aromatic crust and beef tallow
Method
- Marinate the chicken thigh under vacuum for 24 hours rather than a few hours in a bowl, for deeper, more even seasoning throughout the meat.
- Dehydrate a portion of the marinade's garlic and ginger into a fine powder in the spice grinder and fold it into the potato starch coating, for a more concentrated, evenly distributed aromatic hit than a wet marinade alone gives the crust.
- Fry in beef tallow rather than a neutral vegetable oil for a richer, more savoury finish, still using the same two stage temperature logic the tradition demands.
Notes
That double fry, not the fat itself, is what actually gives karaage its structure.