Karaage: Chinese-style Japanese fried chicken

As popular as pizza in Japan, karaage is an ideal appetizer—chunks of chicken thigh marinated in soy sauce, sake, mirin and aromatics, then dipped in potato starch and quickly fried. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]hen we are in Detroit, which is every few weeks these days, we almost always find some reason/excuse to have dinner at Johnny Noodle King. This small, busy, fast-moving joint is always bustling and always full of all sorts of people who happily line up for a bowl of ramen, a nice drink and some terrific Japanese-inspired snacks.

We’ve explored a lot of things on Johnny’s menu, from the straight-ahead shoyu broth ramen to one night’s ramen special that included a fish and lobster broth and a filet of sautéed bluefish, which was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. There are snacks, there’s torched mackerel, there’s seaweed salad, inari buns, pad si u, and a pork donut. It’s all superb.

And arching over all of this terrific food is the place itself: hardworking, generous, determined, enthusiastic, diverse. It is one of the quintessential Detroit experiences. You line up for your little table, you order from a gracious, tough, smart server, your delicious meal comes lightning fast.

Then you step outside onto Fort Street. At that point and at that hour, Fort Street is so broad, so empty. The neighboring forges and machine shops are silent—shut for the night. You are near the river, with the bridge to Canada right there, high, spare, strong, always crammed with traffic and so nearby that you can count the cars and trucks, even in the night, and the air smells of steel, of water, of exhaust, of trees, and you walk to your car, satisfied and excited, heading on to the next place in the haunting Detroit night.

We haven’t been to Detroit in four or five weeks, and the other night, I found myself hankering for Johnny’s karaage. It’s the Japanese take on that perfect food, fried chicken. Whatever else we order, we always add this for everyone to share. It’s so nice! Hot, crispy, salty—it is somehow on a higher order than other forms of fried chicken.

Karaage is an example of wafu-chuka—Chinese-style Japanese cuisine, a class of dishes adapted from Chinese cooking and given a Japanese twist. In Japan, karaage is at least as popular as pizza is here. Johnny’s serves it in the traditional fashion, scattered with finely chopped scallions, with lemon wedges—and a little dish of Kewpie mayonnaise, on the side (that stuff is fantastic).

If you ever find yourself in Detroit, make your way to Johnny Noodle King. In the meantime, here’s our version of this amazing take on fried chicken.

Karaage
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

1 pound boneless chicken thigh (see Kitchen Notes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sake (see Kitchen Notes)
1/3 cup mirin or 1/3 cup dry vermouth and a teaspoon of sugar
1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon sea salt
a grind of black pepper

1/2 cup potato starch (see Kitchen Notes)
Canola oil for cooking (see Kitchen Notes)

lemon wedges
one finely chopped scallion
Mayonnaise for dipping (see Kitchen Notes)

Cut the chicken into small pieces—think two-bite size.

In a medium bowl, mix together the liquids, the ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken. Yes, there is a lot of liquid—this is a wetter recipe than most. Marinate for 30 to 40 minutes—no longer, or the chicken will become too salty. Drain it and discard the marinade. Pick out the garlic and discard that too.

Add the potato starch and toss with your hands until everything is coated—uneven coating will make a handsomer result.

Heat about half an inch of oil over a medium-high flame in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Line a hotel pan or cookie sheet with three layers of paper towels. Working in batches, fry the chicken. When the bottom side turns golden (about 3 minutes), turn it t to fry the other side. Work in modest batches so that the oil stays hot. As each batch is done, move it to the paper-lined baking sheet to drain, then to a serving bowl.

When it’s all done, garnish with chopped scallion and adorn with the lemon wedges. Serve, or cool to room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

Which sake? Here in Chicago, and in most major urban centers, it’s possible to buy an enormous variety of sakes. For this marinade, don’t wander down the path of fine flavor profiles and brewing techniques. Just buy the cheapest kind. That’s all you need.

Which chicken? Chicken thigh. Don’t use chicken breast—it’s too dry.

Hot or not? You can eat this right away, you can serve it room temperature, you can make it and take it to a picnic. I recommend eating it the same day.

Can I swap flour for potato starch? No, you cannot. The secret to this dish is potato starch. It has a neutral flavor and binds well, so it’s less likely to flake off the cooked chicken. Also, don’t confuse it with potato flour—that has a definite potato flavor.

Canola oil? Yes. Some places in the US use duck fat. So luxurious! But for home preparation, we recommend using canola oil.

Did you say mayonnaise? I did. Johnny’s serves this with Kewpie brand mayo. Made in Japan since 1925, its big, bright flavor and custardy yellow color are especially appealing alongside karaage. And it’s made with rice vinegar instead of regular distilled vinegar, giving it a milder finish. But use the mayo you have, or, if you are feeling suddenly demure, just go with fresh squeezed lemon.

To drink? I recommend a cold beer, or a big white wine, or some nice cold sake, or a shot of Johnny Smoking Gun whiskey, which was created to enhance porky ramen broths. In fact, Johnny serves shots of this with a pork broth back—heaven. Johnny Smoking Gun is distilled in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, by Two James Spirits, the first licensed distillery in Detroit since Prohibition.