Japan, Asia

Chicken Nanban

Name: Chicken Nanban
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: Boneless chicken thighs 300 g; Salt ½ tsp; Black pepper to taste; Plain flour 2 tbsp; Eggs (for the coating) 1; Vegetable oil for frying 400 ml; Rice vinegar 3 tbsp; Sugar 2 tbsp; Soy sauce 2 tbsp; Eggs (for the tartare) 1; Onion 25 g; Cucumber pickles (gherkins) 20 g; Mayonnaise 3 tbsp; Lemon juice 1 tsp; Parsley, finely chopped 1 tsp; Cabbage, finely shredded 100 g

Miyazaki's famous dish: egg-coated fried chicken thighs soaked in a sweet-sour nanban vinegar and topped with plenty of rich tartare sauce.

ServingsServes 2

Total cooking time35 min

DifficultyMedium

About servingsWash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water right after touching raw chicken, and keep them away from other food. The chicken is cooked when the thickest part reaches 75 °C, the cut surface has no pink and the juices run clear.

Method

Put the tartare eggs in a 14 cm pot, cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn down to medium heat and cook for until hard-boiled, then cool in cold water and peel.
Add in this stepEggs (for the tartare) 1
medium heat
Chop the onion very finely, soak it in water for 5 minutes, then squeeze it dry in kitchen paper to take away the sharpness. Finely chop the pickles. Mash the boiled eggs with a fork and mix with the onion, pickles, mayonnaise, lemon juice and parsley. Keep the tartare sauce in the fridge.
Add in this stepOnion 25 gCucumber pickles (gherkins) 20 gMayonnaise 3 tbspLemon juice 1 tspParsley, finely chopped 1 tsp
Put the rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce in a small pan and warm on medium heat for , until the sugar dissolves and it just bubbles at the edge, then turn off the heat. Pour it into a dish wide enough to lay the chicken flat. This is the nanban vinegar.
Add in this stepRice vinegar 3 tbspSugar 2 tbspSoy sauce 2 tbsp
medium heat
Trim the yellow fat and sinew from the chicken, and cut into the thick parts to open them out to an even 1.5 cm. Cut into palm-size pieces (about 75 g), pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Dust thinly with flour, shake off the excess, then dip in well-beaten egg to coat evenly.
Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper to tastePlain flour 2 tbspEggs (for the coating) 1
Pour the frying 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 should immediately give off small bubbles. Lay the chicken in skin side down, away from you, fry for until golden, then turn and fry for more. If the pieces touch, fry in two batches. Keep water away from the oil, never leave the pan, and turn off the heat as soon as you finish.
Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 400 ml
medium heat
Lift the chicken out, drain for 30 seconds, then put it straight into the nanban vinegar while hot, 30 seconds per side, to soak up the flavour. Move to a board and slice 2 cm wide. If any pink remains in the middle, return it to the oil to finish cooking.
Make a bed of shredded cabbage on each plate, add the chicken, spoon over a little of the remaining nanban vinegar and top with a generous amount of tartare sauce.
Add in this stepCabbage, finely shredded 100 g

Cook's tip

Chicken breast works too: flatten it to 1 cm and fry a little less. Coat in egg right before frying or the batter slides off. The tartare can be made a day ahead; keep it refrigerated and eat within 2 days.

Cooking it at camp

To avoid handling lots of oil, shallow-fry in a deep pan with just 1 cm of oil and turn the pieces often. Make the tartare at home and keep it in the cooler, and carry the nanban vinegar in a jar. Shield the burner from wind, and let used oil cool before disposing of it with an oil solidifier or newspaper.