This unfussy recipe comes from Shizuo Tsuji, the authority on Japanese cuisine who died in 1993. Soak your chicken in a pungent marinade of sake, ginger and soy, and then flour and fry the pieces. The pieces are cut into bite-size chunks, which reduces the frying time. It’s a simple task that results in tremendous flavor, and it can be done on a weeknight after work. Really, we did it.
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 knob fresh ginger
- 6 tablespoons sake
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boned chicken
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 cup flour
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1041 calories; 79 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 42 grams monounsaturated fat; 20 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 46 grams protein; 170 milligrams cholesterol; 820 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
4 servings
Preparation
Marinade
- Make ginger juice by grating the ginger and squeezing the gratings in a cloth to extract the juice. There should be about one tablespoon.
- Mix ginger juice and all other marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Cut chicken, with skin, into generous bite-sized pieces.
- Add chicken pieces to marinade and mix thoroughly with your hands. Marinate 30 minutes.
- Bring a generous amount of oil to medium temperature (340 degrees) in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep-fryer.
- Drain the marinade from the chicken and dust the chicken lightly with flour. Use your hands to toss and coat individual pieces thoroughly. Let coated chicken rest for two to three minutes.
- Slide chicken into hot oil, a few pieces at a time. Turn and separate individual pieces as they deep-fry. Skim the oil occasionally. As the chicken is finished, remove and drain on absorbent paper toweling. Keep hot.
Dining and Cooking