Karaage is a type of fried chicken popular in Japan. It has a wonderfully crisp outside, made with a light coating of potato starch. The chicken is marinated before frying and then coated in a chive sauce, creating a flavorful, crispy, tender dish. It’s both gluten-free and grain-free
On the Ingredients
- Chives are a close relative of onions, shallots, garlic, scallions, and leeks. They are a flowering plant that grows all over North America, Europe, and Asia. They have a mild, onion-like flavor that goes well with eggs, meat, and fish. Chives are particularly popular in French and Swedish cooking. In Germany and Poland, chives are served with quark, which is a curdled dairy product similar to cottage cheese.
Karaage with Chive Sauce (Japanese Fried Chicken)
4
servings30
minutes30
minutes1
hour2
hoursKaraage is a type of fried chicken popular in Japan. It has a wonderfully crisp outside, made with a light coating of potato starch. The chicken is marinated before frying and then coated in a chive sauce, creating a flavorful, crispy, tender dish. It’s both gluten-free and grain-free
Ingredients
- Karaage Ingredients
1 package of Bell & Evens chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
1-inch piece of fresh ginger (grated)
4 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar or monkfruit sweetener
2 tbsp mirin or sake
2/3 cup potato starch
oil for frying
- Chive Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup minced chives (or you can use scallions instead)
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
- Rinse off the chicken thighs and pat dry. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces (about five pieces per thigh) and put them in a bowl.
- Add grated ginger, tamari, sesame oil, mirin, and sugar. Mix it all up to coat the chicken evenly and let it marinate in the fridge for half an hour.
- In the meantime, mix the ingredients for the chive sauce and set aside.
- In a thick-bottomed skillet or dutch oven, add oil, so it’s about two inches high. Set the heat to medium-low and bring the oil up to 350°.
- While the oil is heating, put the potato starch in a bowl, and using a pair of chopsticks or tongs, lightly coat each piece of chicken in the starch, putting them on a plate ready for frying.
- When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches, don’t crowd, or you’ll bring the oil’s temperature down. Cook the chicken until crispy and golden brown (about 5-8 minutes turning them halfway).
- Set it on a wrack over a paper bag to drain excess oil as each batch is done.
- When all the chicken is done frying, put it in a mixing bowl and pour the chives sauce over it. Stir the chicken, so the sauce is evenly distributed. Serve with hot, short-grain rice.
