Crispy fried chicken
Panko comes from Japan, where it is used for dishes such as katsu: breaded cuts of meat that are deep-fried. This crispy fried chicken is not a traditional Japanese recipe, but it uses those light breadcrumbs. I find it a good way to cook ordinary chicken breast when I have a little more time to spend in the kitchen. Breading takes some attention, but you can get everything ready beforehand and fry the chicken just before eating. What intrigued me about the original recipe was the small amount of cocoa in the seasoning. I have kept it without giving the chicken a sweet flavour. Serve the chicken on a platter to share or choose your own accompaniments. It is at its best straight from the pan.
Servings people
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast
- 75 g plain flour
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika powder (mild)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 125 g panko breadcrumbs
- oil (for deep-frying)
Instructions
Preparation
- Pat 500 g chicken breast dry and cut it into pieces about 4 to 5 cm long and no more than 2 cm thick. Keep the thickness fairly even so that the pieces cook at the same rate.
- In a shallow bowl, mix 75 g plain flour with 1 tsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp smoked paprika powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 0.5 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Beat 2 eggs in a second bowl and put 125 g panko breadcrumbs in a third.
- Coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any loose flour. Dip them into the egg, let the excess drip off and press them into the panko to coat all sides. Place them side by side on a plate. Use one hand for the egg and the other for the dry ingredients to keep your fingers less sticky.
Cooking
- Heat oil to 175 °C. If using a deep saucepan, add enough oil to submerge the chicken, but fill the pan no more than halfway. Without a thermometer, hold a dry wooden skewer in the oil: small bubbles around the wood indicate that the oil is hot. This is a rough check, not an exact temperature measurement.
- Fry the chicken in two or three batches, leaving room for the pieces to move freely. Let the oil return to temperature between batches. Fry each batch for about 4 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness, until the coating is golden brown.
- Check a thick piece with a clean kitchen thermometer: the centre must reach 75 °C and stay at that temperature for at least 30 seconds. Cook for longer if needed. Lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on kitchen paper and transfer to a wire rack. Do not stack the pieces, so the coating stays crisp.
Serving
- Divide the crispy fried chicken between four plates or serve on a platter. Bring it to the table straight away without covering it: a lid will quickly soften the coating.
Notes
For hotter chicken, add ¼ tsp cayenne pepper to the flour mixture. The cocoa has been kept from the original recipe. Use unsweetened cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 35gFat: 16gSaturated fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 130mgSugars: 1.7g
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!
Good food for an evening at home
my choice
this week
This week I have chosen a dish I like to serve freshly cooked. It is simple, but take your time making it. Enjoy it on a relaxed evening at home or when someone joins you for dinner. You can decide what to serve alongside it and how generous a meal to make.
