Chicken Nanban - rich, creamy, oishii!
the best of Japanese-Western fusion!
it always intrigues me whenever I learn about the origins of Yoshoku (洋食) or Western/European-influenced Japanese cuisine. this unique cultural phenomenon stems from the time of Meiji Restoration where trade and contact with Europe and the United States resulted in a fusion cuisine, producing Japanese dishes we come to love today. these include foods like Tonkatsu, Omurice, Korokke, Hambagu, Wafu Pasta, Tonkatsu & Chicken Nanban.
the first time I had Chicken Nanban was from Mikoto Restaurant, a popular Japanese hangout just next to a restaurant I used to work at. the eating experience got me hooked which made me want to recreate the dish since then. now I finally did! after some trials, this was the best version of Chicken Nanban that was just PERFECT in every possible way. the use of tapioca starch makes for an extra crispy coating; the gingery & sweet nanban sauce pairs well with the tartar sauce which possesses a nice balance of rich and tang, from the mayo-horseradish concoction.
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Chicken Nanban
(serves 4-5)
chicken karaage:
500g chicken thigh, cubed
30g ginger, grated
1 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
100g tapioca starch
50g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups oil, for deep-frying
nanban sauce:
150ml mirin OR halal mirin OR 4 tbsp sugar
130ml rice vinegar
60ml soy sauce
3 tbsp shiro dashi / 1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1 piece dried konbu
15 g ginger, grated and squeeze the juice, discarding the pulp
tartar sauce:
2 boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium red onion, small diced
1/2 cup kewpie mayo
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp horseradish / dijon mustard
4 stalks spring onion, sliced (separate the white and green parts)
salt & pepper, to taste
directions
combine chicken, ginger, salt, pepper and egg. mix well and marinade for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
heat oil in a pot on medium heat. whisk together the tapioca starch, flour and baking powder on a plate. bring the marinated chicken to room temperature and dredged the pieces well with the flour mixture, deep fry the chicken pieces until lightly golden. drain on paper towels.
in a saucepan, combine all the nanban sauce ingredients. put on medium heat and simmer, stirring from time to time. let the sauce reduce to an almost syrupy thickness. then, remove konbu & transfer the sauce into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
to make the tartar sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.
coat the fried chicken with nanban sauce by tossing the together in a bowl. then, top it up with tartar sauce and garnish with green part of the spring onion.
serve with short-grain rice and furikake (optional).
if you’re looking for more Japanese recipes, here they are!:
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