Chicken Nanban Tacos with Jalapeño-Lime Tartare

Method

1. Put the tartare eggs in a 14 cm pot, cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat, then turn down to medium heat and cook for 10 min until hard-boiled. Cool in cold water and peel.

   Add in this stepEggs (for the tartare) 1

   medium heat

2. Finely chop the eggs; deseed the jalapeño and chop it very finely, and finely chop the red onion. Mix with the mayonnaise, the juice of half the limes and half the chopped coriander, then refrigerate. Don't touch your eyes after handling the jalapeño.

   Add in this stepJalapeño (fresh or pickled) ½Red onion 20 gMayonnaise 3 tbspLimes ½Coriander (cilantro) 2.5 g

3. Put the rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce in a small pan and reduce on medium heat for 2 min, until the bubbles get bigger and it turns lightly syrupy. It is reduced more than the classic nanban vinegar so the tacos don't go soggy.

   Add in this stepRice vinegar 2 tbspSugar 2 tbspSoy sauce 1½ tbsp

   medium heat

4. Trim the fat and sinew from the chicken and cut it into strips about 2 cm wide and 6 cm long. Pat dry, season with salt, pepper and cumin, dust thinly with flour, shake off the excess and dip in beaten egg.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 240 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper to tasteGround cumin ½ tspPlain flour 2 tbspEggs (for the coating) 1

5. Pour the oil into a 22 cm frying pan to a depth of 1.5 cm and heat on medium heat to 170 °C (a dry wooden chopstick gives off small bubbles straight away). Add the chicken, away from you and not touching, and fry for 4 min, turning halfway, until golden. Fry in batches if crowded and never leave the oil. Cut the thickest strip open to check there is no pink.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 400 ml

   medium heat

6. Drain the chicken and toss it in the glaze from step 3. Heat a dry pan on medium-high heat and warm the tortillas one at a time for 30 sec per side, until soft with a few toasted spots; wrap them in a cloth to keep warm.

   Add in this stepCorn tortillas (15 cm) 4

   medium-high heat

7. Line each tortilla with cabbage, add the chicken, spoon on plenty of tartare and scatter with the rest of the coriander. Cut the remaining limes into wedges for squeezing.

   Add in this stepCabbage, finely shredded 60 gCoriander (cilantro) 2.5 gLimes ½