031 - CHICKEN KATSU (So easy, you'll be amazed)

Comfort food time! You might recognize this recipe from one of the most famous fast food chain in Indonesia. It is crunchy, savory, and goes perfectly well with cabbage and piping hot white rice. CHICKEN KATSU, that’s what it is.

I consider this dish as the perfect introductory dish to Japanese cooking. It only uses a small amount of ingredient, it tasted awesome, and it cooks hella quick.

Like all dishes, the key to nailing the perfect katsu lies in the ingredients. Get a fresh chicken breast, and always use the Panko. Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs. It’s not expensive (around IDR 12.000/US$ 1.00 per bag), and it is now readily available in most supermarkets in Indonesia.

For 1 servings, you will need:

1 large, boneless Chicken Breast. Buying a pair of boobs, oops, breast in supermarket is fun. Chicken Breast are always sold in pairs, left side and right side of the breast. This recipe only needs one half of it.

Enough oil for frying

For the breading:

100 grams Panko Breadcrumbs.

100 grams All Purpose Flour

1 Egg

1 tsp of Salt

(Optional) ½ tsp of MSG. Yes, this might scare some people, but MSG is the Umami key. IT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!

Ready? Here We Go!

Step 1 – Clean your chicken properly, remove any excess fat and small bones left behind. Wipe it dry with paper towel, and make sure it’s in room temperature. Then use a heavy object (i use my meat mallet) to tenderize the chicken. Don't skip this part, ever.

Dry it out.

And a quick punches.

Step 2 – Mix your all-purpose flour, salt, and MSG (if you’re going with the optional), give it a stir, set it aside. Oh, and i shit you not, the MSG DOES MADE A DIFFERENCE.

Flour

Salt

MSG BITCHEZ

Stir, Stir, STIR.

Step 3 – Crack the egg, give it a nice mix.

Step 4 – Heat your oil, use medium heat. Set a coating line of flour-egg-panko.

Step 5 – After the oil gets hot enough, dip your chicken to the flour first. Shake off the excess, and dip it in the egg. After that, it all goes down to the Panko before the nice hot bath in the oil.

Step 6 – Let the chicken sit untouched for around 2-3 minutes. Once you see the edges turn brown, give it a flip. Remember, don’t hack the process with higher heat, you will end up with burnt outside and raw inside. No no. Cook the other side for an additional 2 minutes. Once it’s all cooked up, take it out of the oil and let it rest on paper towel to drain off excess oil.

The answers is in the edges, Son.

Bloody lovely!

Step 7 – Serve!

Garnish with a side of thinly sliced cabbage, and voila, your first step into Japanese cooking made easy.

It’s crunchy, it’s savory, it’s satisfying.

Give this a go, your loved ones will go crazy over it!

Peace

xx