Japanese Fried Chicken

Recipe by Miru

In a playful nod to one of his native Japan’s most popular holiday dishes, Executive Chef Hisanobu Osaka of Miru at The St. Regis Chicago shares his recipe for Japanese Fried Chicken with tobanjan aioli. Make a reservation for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at Miru to get a taste of these double-fried, perfectly crispy chicken thighs, or savor this succulent dish at home anytime.

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Japanese Fried Chicken

Crispy, comforting perfection

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS FOR FRIED CHICKEN
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 cups marinade (see ingredients and method below)
Dredge (see ingredients and method below)
3 cups tempura batter (see ingredients and method below)
1 cup tobanjan aioli for dipping (see ingredients and method below)
Canola oil for frying

INGREDIENTS FOR MARINADE
1¾ cups fish sauce
½ cup inexpensive (cooking) sake
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup grated ginger
½ cup minced garlic (one full bulb)
¼ cup kosher salt
1 Tbsp. ground white pepper
1⅓ cup sesame oil

INGREDIENTS FOR DREDGE
1 egg white
¼ cup potato starch

INGREDIENTS FOR TEMPURA BATTER
2 cups tempura flour
2 cups cold water

INGREDIENTS FOR TOBANJAN AIOLI
1 Tbsp. tobanjan chili bean sauce
½ Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
¼ Tbsp. white sugar
5 Tbsp. Kewpie Mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise of choice)

Method:

METHOD FOR MARINADE
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Fully coat chicken and marinade for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator. (Chef tip: Inject chicken with marinade using food-safe meat injector.)

METHOD FOR DREDGE
1. Mix egg white and potato starch.
2. Once chicken has marinated for 4-6 hours, add marinated chicken to dredge and coat evenly.

METHOD FOR TEMPURA BATTER
1. Mix tempura flour and water.
2. After coating chicken in dredge, drop chicken, piece by piece, into the tempura batter and coat evenly.

METHOD FOR FRIED CHICKEN
1. Heat a deep frying pan of canola oil (2-3 inches of oil) over medium heat until the oil reaches 300°F.
2. Carefully place each piece of tempura-battered chicken into oil.
3. Turn when golden brown, approximately 12-14 minutes total or 6-7 minutes per side (the internal temperature of chicken should be minimum of 160°F).
4. Set chicken aside and let it rest for a few minutes.
5. Increase oil temperature to 350°F and double fry chicken for an additional 3 minutes (until crispy).

METHOD FOR TOBANJAN AIOLI
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Dip fried chicken to taste.