Black Sesame Karaage

I fell in love with karaage, Japanese fried chicken, on one of my first trips to Japan. I’d never before paid much attention to karaage, choosing to order ramen, agedashi tofu, or a classic chirashi bowl in Japanese restaurants in the States instead. Fried chicken? I thought, whatever. Well. Wow. Karaage – it’s truly special. I learned it’s made with dark chicken meat (i.e., chicken thigh), making it incredibly juicy and tender. It’s double fried. It’s deliciously spiced so that the breading creates a crispy, crunchy exterior that tastes peppery and divine. Now, I order it whenever I see it on the menu! And now, I give you a black sesame karaage!

I learned how to make this surprisingly easy dish through Nami of Just One Cookbook and Mandy of Lady and Pups. There’s no need to tenderize the meat, as chicken thighs are quite tender already, and if you cut the pieces into roughly the same size, that ensures the meat will cook evenly as it fries. Nami does a double deep fry, which I was pleasantly surprised to see, as I’d been doing the double-fry for a few dishes at home. It’s a pretty common technique used in Shanghainese cooking for seafood- the first quick flash fry with a longer deeper fry to get it even more crisp and deepen flavors. Angus Chen writes a brilliant article explaining the science behind this double fry. As a future doctor, reading about this kind of stuff thrills me to no end!!!! As always with deep frying, safety comes first! Use an oil appropriate for deep frying and always be careful when transferring the food. I always use a thermometer to make sure the oil is at the right temperature.

I had this idea as I was making a bunch of black sesame sticky rice balls (recipe in my future book!). I had this sudden, crazy thought: what if I made a sweet sesame mix for karaage????? It seemed just crazy enough to be potentially good. And it was!!!!! It’s a nutty, fragrant, slightly sweet exterior with that characteristic karaage juicy interior. It’s not the most photogenic dish, but it is good. Plus, it’s the Super Bowl this weekend, and might I suggest this as a great snack item??

 

 

The combination of coarsely ground black sesame with a bit of sugar makes the breading that much more crispy. The sugar becomes caramelized with the black sesame and potato starch mix, and with every bite, that crunch highlights the textural differences between the exterior and interior. It’s addictive, and Alex and I just devoured this whole plate for lunch. I served it with a generous drizzle of lemon and a heaping pile of fresh scallions. I can also see kewpie mayonnaise as a delightful companion, as well as a dusting of togarashi.

Oh, and I also wanted to share a little bit about why I’ve been a bit absent: I’m finishing up my final year of medical school (aka, applying for residency), and I’m writing and photographing a book. The first is self explanatory (clinical rotations, residency application, residency interviews). the second is a bit of news I’ve been dying to share with you all, but it’s taken up all of my free time and been a thrilling yet terrifying (and ongoing) experience. When I have more details to share, I will definitely make a big official announcement!!!! Stay tuned on that front :).

Recipe: Black Sesame Karaage

Ingredients
1.5-2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

Marinade
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Breading:
¼-1/2 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
¼ cup black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Carefully remove bone from chicken thighs with sharp kitchen shears. Then, cut the chicken into 1.5″x 2 to 3″ strips – equal sizes for even cooking. Alternatively, use boneless chicken thighs. Both have worked for me.
2. Place chicken with marinade in a container and let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.
3. Grind black sesame with sugar until a coarse powder forms. Mix with potato starch in a shallow bowl and set aside.
4. In a safe pot for deep-frying (I use a wok or a deep pan), heat enough oil to cover a layer of chicken to 335F. Use a thermometer for accuracy.
5. Place chicken strip one at a time in the bowl of breading and coat to cover. Lay on a drying rack over a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken strips.
6. When oil is at the right temperature, gently coat again with fresh breading and then slide into the oil 2-3 strips at a time, without crowding the pan.
7. Deep fry for 90 seconds, then transfer to another rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
8. Let oil come to 350F this time, and then deep fry for 2 minutes until chicken is golden brown. Remove chicken and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
9. Serve hot with a fresh scallions, a drizzle of lemon, a side of kewpie mayo, or a dusting of togarashi!!!!!