Cooking in Japan is a great experience with the huge variety of ingredients (especially nowadays) available, but when I first arrived, I had no idea what to cook. I wanted something comforting, hearty especially being from the UK. There are no fish and chip shops, no pie shops LOL. So, I wanted to put together how to cook chicken katsu, (the easy way).
Chicken katsu was developed in Japan in the 20th century with Western Influence in mind. The big difference is that Japanese use panko (breadcrumbs) so to make the dish extra crispy. Other breadcrumbs around the world don’t quite have the same crunchiness. Sounds odd because its breadcrumbs, maybe its psychological?
Katsu was first popularized in Japan using beef cutlet, then pork, but personally I like to use chicken because it’s lighter. I also add wasabi powder for an extra kick, you don’t need to do this, it’s personal preference.
So here is what you need:
Chicken breast (butterflied)
1 Egg
Panko (breadcrumbs)
Wasabi powder
Salt & pepper
Tonkatsu sauce
Cabbage (shredded)
1 cup of Rice
Here is what to do:
Butterfly the chicken breast
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt
Place the egg and panko crumbs into separate dishes add pepper and wasabi powder into the panko and mix well
Dip the chicken breasts into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well-coated on both sides
Heat 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet to 350°F.
Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden-brown
After this I put the chicken breasts into the pre heated microwave oven and cook for 10 minutes at 180. I do this because chicken can burn on the outside very easily in the frying pan and still be uncooked in the middle. This pan / oven method proves time and time again to cook the chicken breast perfectly keeping them moist inside.
Let the chicken rest a little after taking out of the oven and then place rice and shredded cabbage on a plate, slice the chicken breast and place on the cabbage. Add some tonkatsu sauce and bang, you are good to go!
Oh, I have to add, the plate I used for the chicken katsu is usually used for fish because of its length and style, but hey, I like it so……..
You can also make a quick and super easy Japanese style curry to go along with this. This is known as curry katsu.