CHICKEN KATSU WITH CABBAGE SALAD & GARLIC RICE

Crunchy, double crumbed chicken thighs drizzled with tonkastu sauce can only be made better with buttery garlic rice and a fresh cabbage salad. 

I’ve used juicy Waitoa free range chicken thighs in this recipe although breast meat will work well too. Breast is a thicker cut so it’s best to flatten the chicken slightly before crumbing it. This can be done by placing it between two sheets of baking paper and bashing it with a rolling pin. Thanks to the lovely team at Waitoa Free Range Chicken for sponsoring this post.

INGREDIENTS

Katsu Chicken
4 Waitoa Free Range Chicken thigh cutlets
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 size 7 eggs 
3 cups panko crumbs
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Garlic Rice
50 grams butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups medium grain rice
½ teaspoon sea salt

Cabbage Salad
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt
¼ green cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1/4 nori sushi sized sheet, cut into thin matchsticks
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

To serve
Japanese mayonnaise 
Tonkatsu sauce

METHOD

Set yourself up with three medium sized bowls. Place the flour in one, the whisked eggs in the second and the panko crumbs in the third. Then, line an oven tray with baking paper. Season chicken thighs with salt then dip the thighs into the flour making sure to cover all areas. Dust off any excess flour then dip into the egg wash, followed by the panko crumbs. To make your chicken extra crunchy, dip the crumbed chicken back into the egg wash and then the panko crumbs again. Place chicken on the lined oven tray and set aside.  

Melt butter in a medium sized pot over a low heat. Add the garlic and fry for one minute, do not let the garlic brown. Add the rice, 750ml of cold water and salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn the heat off and leave for a further 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the cabbage salad and cook the chicken. 

In a small jar, combine the oils, vinegar, garlic, sugar and a pinch of salt. Place the lid on top and shake to emulsify. In a large bowl combine shredded vegetables, nori and sesame seeds. Toss through salad dressing just before serving. 

Place enough oil in a large saucepan to reach a 4cm depth. Heat the oil over a medium heat to 170ºC and line an oven tray with paper towels. Add a panko crumb to the oil, if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough to start frying. Fry the chicken in batches for 4 - 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Fluff the rice using a fork then divide between bowls. Slice chicken into strips and place on top of the rice. Drizzle over tonkatsu sauce and serve with salad.