Crunchy Chicken Katsu

I remember the first time I had chicken katsu at a local japanese restaurant. I instantly fell in love with this yummy crunchy delicacy. Since cutting back at eating out, I decided to just try to make it at home. I found it to be incredibly easy and shhh don't tell the restaurant but mine actually tasted better!

I have made this dish with both thigh meat and breast meat and I prefer the breast meat version personally but you can choose your preference. The procedure is the same for both.

Chicken Katsu
Ingredients:
Panko crumbs (Found in asian grocery or maybe international aisle in supermarket). If not can buy here
1 egg
flour
Skinless chicken breasts or thigh meat
vegetable oil for frying
salt

Directions:
What I normally do is get 3 containers or bowls set out in a row. In the first one I put some flour, the second one a mixture of 1 whisked egg and 2 tbls of water, and in the third container a good layer of panko crumbs with a dash of salt added.

Take your boneless, skinless chicken pieces and pound thin with the flat side of a meat mallet. I usually put one piece at a time in a large ziploc bag, makes for easy cleanup.
Now's a good time to heat your veg oil up. I have a deep fryer and had about 1.5 inches of oil in it and set it to 375°. If you have a fryer, please follow your user manual or if using a stovetop pan be sure to use the proper type of frying thermometer.

Take a piece of your chicken and coat both sides in flour and shake off excess then dip in egg and then the panko crumbs. I like to press the panko on good because the crunchiness is my fave thing about this dish. A good tip is to pick a breading hand and keep one hand clean otherwise it's a hand washing nightmare lol.

I don't like to crowd the fryer so I made two pieces at a time, slowly lowering them into the oil to avoid burning myself. This probably goes without saying eh.
Now, it's all about patience. I haven't found the need to time these, I just keep an eye on them and flip them once mid fry. The color is a really good indicator of doneness I've found. Once they are a deep golden color, I've always found it to be cooked through, but always give it a little cut once out of the fryer to ensure it's cooked thoroughly. Add a little pinch of salt as soon as it comes out of the fryer if desired.

All that's left is to cut into strips and top this yumminess off with some sauce. I haven't gotten around to making it from scratch yet but I usually use this Bulldog tonkatsu sauce I found at a local asian grocery but is also available online at the link. I hope you try out and enjoy this simple and delicious dish. -Curvy Cook