KOJ FRIED CHICKEN
If you are missing the incredible food from Koj Cheltenham, we have a treat for you.
Karaage chicken was one of the bestsellers in the restaurant. Jay Rayner describing it as being "between the softness of American southern fried, and the full-on crunch of Japanese karaage. Sesame flavoured mayo sends it happily on its way" in his Observer review.
We thought we would share the recipe so you can enjoy it at home.
You can find this recipe, as well as many other wonderful dishes in Andrew "Koj" Kojima's book "No Sushi" which you can purchase HERE.
Karaage chicken was one of the bestsellers in the restaurant. Jay Rayner describing it as being "between the softness of American southern fried, and the full-on crunch of Japanese karaage. Sesame flavoured mayo sends it happily on its way" in his Observer review.
We thought we would share the recipe so you can enjoy it at home.
You can find this recipe, as well as many other wonderful dishes in Andrew "Koj" Kojima's book "No Sushi" which you can purchase HERE.
SERVES 2
PREP TIME: 15 MIN | COOK TIME: 10 MIN | TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
INGREDIENTS
Dry Coating
30g rice flour
60g tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
90g medium polenta (aka cornmeal)
Sesame mayo
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (75g)
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil (5g)
Black sesame seeds, for visual garnish
Marinated chicken
300g chicken thigh fillets (usually about 4 thighs if they are deboned and skinned)
2 Tbsp soy sauce (30g)
2 Tbsp sake (30g)
1 Tbsp mirin (15g)
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove)
1 tsp ginger paste (or 5g)
Final cooking
100ml buttermilk
5g garlic salt (or just salt)
Plenty of vegetable oil, for frying
30g rice flour
60g tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
90g medium polenta (aka cornmeal)
Sesame mayo
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (75g)
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil (5g)
Black sesame seeds, for visual garnish
Marinated chicken
300g chicken thigh fillets (usually about 4 thighs if they are deboned and skinned)
2 Tbsp soy sauce (30g)
2 Tbsp sake (30g)
1 Tbsp mirin (15g)
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove)
1 tsp ginger paste (or 5g)
Final cooking
100ml buttermilk
5g garlic salt (or just salt)
Plenty of vegetable oil, for frying
EQUIPMENT
Large tupperware or empty icecream tub
Mixing bowl
Small ramekins or dipping saucers, for the sesame mayo
Frying pan and plenty of vegetable oil for frying
Kitchen roll for draining
Mixing bowl
Small ramekins or dipping saucers, for the sesame mayo
Frying pan and plenty of vegetable oil for frying
Kitchen roll for draining
INSTRUCTIONS
2 minute prep: make the dry coating
Put all of the dry ingredients in an empty container
Mix well with a spoon, or put a lid on and shake well
2 minute prep: make the sesame mayo
Place 3 tablespoons (or 75g if you prefer to measure) of mayonnaise into a mixing bowl
Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
Mix well and cover with cling film
2 minute prep: make the marinade
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, garlic and ginger
5 minute prep: marinade the chicken
Remove any bone, gristle or skin from the chicken thighs, if necessary
Cut the chicken thighs into bitesize chunks (I aim for 20-25g each - which is between 4-6 pieces per thigh, depending on the size of the thigh)
Put the chicken into the marinade and coat well
Leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes but no more than 2 hours
Final cooking
Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade (you can do this in a sieve or colander over the sink)
Rinse out the mixing bowl and add the buttermilk
Mix the garlic salt (or salt) into the buttermilk with a spoon, fork or whisk
Add the chicken and coat all of the pieces in the buttermilk
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge it thoroughly in the dry coating
Make sure each piece is covered in dry coating
Put plenty of vegetable oil into a frying pan and get it hot (not smoking hot, but hot enough that anything you cook will sizzle and bubble immediately
Fry the pieces of chicken for about 2 minutes on each side
Drain onto kitchen towel
You can place the chicken in a warm oven (about 80 celcius) if you need to cook several batches
Put all of the dry ingredients in an empty container
Mix well with a spoon, or put a lid on and shake well
2 minute prep: make the sesame mayo
Place 3 tablespoons (or 75g if you prefer to measure) of mayonnaise into a mixing bowl
Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
Mix well and cover with cling film
2 minute prep: make the marinade
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, garlic and ginger
5 minute prep: marinade the chicken
Remove any bone, gristle or skin from the chicken thighs, if necessary
Cut the chicken thighs into bitesize chunks (I aim for 20-25g each - which is between 4-6 pieces per thigh, depending on the size of the thigh)
Put the chicken into the marinade and coat well
Leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes but no more than 2 hours
Final cooking
Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade (you can do this in a sieve or colander over the sink)
Rinse out the mixing bowl and add the buttermilk
Mix the garlic salt (or salt) into the buttermilk with a spoon, fork or whisk
Add the chicken and coat all of the pieces in the buttermilk
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge it thoroughly in the dry coating
Make sure each piece is covered in dry coating
Put plenty of vegetable oil into a frying pan and get it hot (not smoking hot, but hot enough that anything you cook will sizzle and bubble immediately
Fry the pieces of chicken for about 2 minutes on each side
Drain onto kitchen towel
You can place the chicken in a warm oven (about 80 celcius) if you need to cook several batches
SUBSTITUTES & ALTERNATIVES
Japanese fried chicken is called 唐揚げ (karaage). It is traditionally served simply with a wedge of lemon, in the same way as traditional British fish and chips, but we served it with a flavoured mayonnaise as we found our customers preferred it that way.
This recipe was taken from "No Sushi" which you can purchase HERE.
This recipe was taken from "No Sushi" which you can purchase HERE.
