Karaage with Yurinchi Tare
Crisp twice-fried chicken thighs get a savory-sweet yurinchi tare for a bold, crunchy Japanese-style dinner.
Prep 25 min · Cook 20 min · Total 45 min · Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Yurinchi Tare:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake, rice wine
- 2 tablespoons mirin, sweet rice wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
- Combine the vinegar, scallion, soy sauce, oil, and ginger in a small bowl with a whisk, then put the sauce aside. In another small bowl, stir together the starch and flour and reserve that mixture as well.
- Prick the chicken thoroughly with a paring knife, then cut it into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Work the seasonings and marinade ingredients into the chicken one addition at a time: start with 1 Tbs. salt and 1 Tbs. pepper, then add the garlic, ginger, sugar, papaya, if using, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and egg. Sprinkle in 1 Tbs. of the flour mixture and keep massaging until it disappears into the chicken. Add the sesame oil and stir until everything is evenly coated. Cook right away, or cover the bowl and chill it for up to 2 hours. Pour off extra marinade, then gently blot the chicken with paper towels.
- Set a rack on top of a large rimmed baking sheet and keep it nearby. Add oil to a large Dutch oven or another sturdy pot until it is two-thirds full.
- Bring the oil to 310°F. Dredge a few chicken pieces in the reserved flour mixture, coating them lightly and tapping away the extra. Gather the edges of each piece so it forms a little pouch with the skin facing out. Carefully lower the chicken into the oil and fry in batches until pale golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon and place them on the rack. Continue the same way with the rest of the chicken.
- After every piece has had its first fry, raise the oil to 370°F. Fry the chicken again, working in batches, until it is deeply golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Move the chicken back to the rack, then serve it with the Yurinchi Tare.