Japanese fried chicken (karaage) w/ salmon caviar (ikura)

Japanese fried chicken (karaage) w/ salmon caviar (ikura)

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”  Ikura’s intensity lies in its sticky and viscous brininess that liquifies and oozes around the tongue after each pops.  When you think about it, a sauce, almost.  “

We came home from a long weekend in Kyoto and, if I may, I want to talk about me and karaage for a bit.

For those who aren’t familiar, karaage, aka Japanese fried chicken, is and should be regarded as a league of its own, standing far apart from the classic American fried chickens or the recently popularized Korea-style fried chickens.  It is none of those.  Karaage is boneless, cut into medium to large-size chunks, without sauce, and almost always, as gods intended, uses dark meats only.  Flavor-wise, due to its mildly sweetened brine, its juice runs almost nectar-like, secreting from its firm and bouncy muscles following the crunch of karaage’s trademark white-speckled crusts.  Served simply with lemon wedges and Japanese-style mayonnaise called Kewpie — also a distinction from American/European mayonnaise but that’s another story — such formula has become an establishment in the Japanese diet, celebrated everywhere from restaurants, department stores, convenience stores and even train stations.  Clearly as popular opinions suggest, there’s nothing wrong with it for sure.

I used to adore karaage.  I still do, I guess, but in a different way now.  Our relationship, which used to demand an intimate reunion whenever opportunity presents itself, had taken a shift since last weekend.

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During this trip in Kyoto, strangely stalled in front of the frequent offerings of impeccably fried karaage behind spotless glass windows, I was feeling a general lagging enthusiasm which, unregrettingly, led to zero purchases.  What’s wrong with me?  I used to love karaage!  I should want this stuff, right?  I should not be able to get enough of it, no?  It’s a great piece of fried chicken for god’s sake so how do I explain myself?  I bit into an onigiri over-filled with mentaiko on my returning flight, aching over my betrayal.

I came home plunged into an intense couple-therapy session between me and karaage.  We shut the door, we shouted, we whispered, we cried, we left nothing unsaid and nothing unfelt we even skyped Kewpie.  After boxes of Kleenex tissues, we walked slowly out of the room, hand in hand, and are ready to make a public statement.  It isn’t easy.  Possibly appalling.  But we’ve both decided that at this specific juncture, what is best for our relationship to move forward with is — a threesome.

Look, karaage, on its own, is good.  But over time, I find karaage’s sweetness and garlicky undertone somewhat binding and tiresome.  It needs a sharp piercing beyond the general zing of lemon or mustard.  It needs a spanking.  Somewhere between reasons and insanity and Momofuku, ikura comes to mind.

Ikura is Japanese cured salmon roe, much like Russian caviar, but seasoned with soy sauce, sweet rice wine and dashi.  Its intensity lies in its sticky and viscous brininess that liquifies and oozes around the tongue after each jewel-like pops.  When you think about it, a sauce, almost.  If you think that the idea of pairing a vehemently briny fish eggs with fried chicken is strange, you’r not wrong, but in a way that feels very right, if that makes sense.  The faintly fishy saltiness does not protrude and speaks over everyone else, as it only flows through the ambience like strings of vividly played jazz, infusing vitality into the conversation, especially with its edge smoothed around by the creaminess of Kewpie mayonnaise.  It doesn’t change karaage.  It just makes it fun.

Sometimes a relationship needs a third party.

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Japanese fried chicken w/ salmon caviar (ikura)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs (900 grams) boneless skin-on chicken thighs
  • 3/4 cup (180 grams) store-bought chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp (45 grams) soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 gams) sake wine
  • 2 1/2 tsp (13 grams) mirin/Japanese sweet wine
  • 2 tsp (13 grams) fine sea salt
  • 1 small clove of garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp ground galangal powder, or 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • BREADING:
  • 3/4 cup potato starch or tapioca starch (but not cornstarch)(see note *)
  • 1/2 tbsp cayenne powder
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • FRYING:
  • Canola oil for frying
  • Ground white pepper to dust
  • TO SERVE:
  • 2 tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp wasabi paste, plus more to adjust
  • 1/4 cup Japanese cured salmon roe/Ikura (see note **)
  • Lemon or lime wedges to serve

Instructions

  1. MARINATE: Cut the boneless chicken thighs into 1 1/2" x 3~4" strips ( 4 x 8~10 cm). We want these pieces to be relatively large because we want the meat to remain juicy while giving the exterior enough time to brown. Transfer the strips into a large container, along with chicken broth, soy sauce, sake wine, mirin, fine sea salt, grated garlic, galangal powder (or grated ginger) and black pepper. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.
  2. BREADING: In a large bowl, whisk together potato starch, cayenne powder and ground black pepper. Do not drench the chicken directly inside the starch, because that will turn the entire bowl of starch crumbly and wet, making it difficult to adhere to the chicken and you will lose that white speckles in the final result.
  3. Instead, drain a piece of chicken from the marinate and hold it above another bowl with one hand. With the other hand, liberally drop the starch all over the chicken until it's thoroughly coated in every folds, nooks and crannies. Then place the breaded chicken on top of a cooling-rack as you work on the rest. If you run out of starch, simply just make more.
  4. FRYING: Add enough canola oil into a frying pot until it reaches 2" (5 cm) deep. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 F/175 C, or it bubbles up immediately around an inserted wooden chopstick. Give the chicken a second light drench in starch, then fry them without crowding the pot, until crispy and golden browned with pale speckles remaining on the surface, about 4~5 minutes. Drain well and immediately dust them with ground white pepper.
  5. TO SERVE: In a bowl, whisk together Kewpie mayonnaise and wasabi paste (adjust the amount to your liking), then gently fold in the salmon roe/ikura. Immediately serve it alongside the fried chickens with wedges of lemon or lime.

Notes

* Japanese fried chicken/karaage specifically uses potato starch as the breading which gives it a great crispiness and that signature white speckled exterior. Tapioca starch can also give you the same crispiness (even crispier in my opinion), but the white speckled-look will not be so pronounced. Cornstarch will underwhelm in both categories so don't use it.

** Ikura (Japanese cured salmon roe) can be found in most Japanese supermarkets in the fridge section alongside sashimi. It can be slightly pricey, but cheaper than European/Russian caviar. If you cannot find it, you can substitute with other types of caviar.

https://ladyandpups.com/2018/11/14/japanese-fried-chicken-karaage-w-salmon-caviar-ikura/
19 Comments
  • Jeannie Richardson

    November 15, 2018 at 12:44 AM Reply

    So many good quotes here.. but I think “It needs a spanking” is my favorite! Thank you <3

  • Pamela

    November 15, 2018 at 7:19 AM Reply

    Well, you can’t get more joyous that this, really good kara age with Ikura and mayo! You don’t need anything else!

  • Darryl Simpson

    November 16, 2018 at 8:22 AM Reply

    Please, more Japanese recipes with your clever little twists ?

  • 192.168.0.1

    November 17, 2018 at 12:58 PM Reply

    Amazing recipe!

  • Walterfiede

    November 20, 2018 at 4:15 AM Reply

    Russian caviar

    Wholesale of sturgeon caviar from Russia. Sale from 7 kg

  • Akeksei

    November 20, 2018 at 11:04 PM Reply

    “A thickening agent is the answer to the previously-thought-impossible scrambled eggs fantasy,” Mandy @ Lady and pups writes. “Speed, and creaminess, all together.” You’ll notice that this calls for a lot of butter, so just to be safe I tried the recipe both with and without the cornstarch, to see how much was really just the goodness of the butter. Without cornstarch, the eggs were good but tougher, the butter more free-floating. And I’ve found that even if you skimp on the butter, the cornstarch has dramatic effects. Adapted slightly from Lady and Pups . Genius Recipes . http://vipcaviar.com – caviar wholesale

  • dick stein

    November 29, 2018 at 12:02 AM Reply

    Can’t wait to try this one but I think you might have transposed the C/F temps for the oil.

  • Robert

    December 11, 2018 at 10:34 AM Reply

    Delicious looking recipe! The measurement for the chicken looks off because usually 2 lbs would be 900 grams.. Guessing the 2 lbs is correct not the 500 grams?

    • mandy@ladyandpups

      December 11, 2018 at 1:04 PM Reply

      Robert, oops sorry typo! Yes 2 lb/900 grams is correct. Changed it.

  • Travel Umroh Terbaik

    January 2, 2019 at 5:17 PM Reply

    Japanese Fried Chicken different from KFC in the taste and shape of the chicken

  • Kimithy

    January 31, 2019 at 6:50 AM Reply

    Haaaaaa, this was a hilarious read, and I never would have thought to pair roe with fried chicken! Genius.

  • Rachel Shimon

    April 19, 2019 at 8:44 PM Reply

    Potato starch will now go on my grocery list! This fried chicken looks AMAZING

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  • basketball legends

    May 8, 2019 at 4:27 PM Reply

    Look, karaage, on its own, is good.

  • Usman Cheema

    July 1, 2019 at 1:44 AM Reply

    For those of us cursed with the need to watch our calorie intake, would you kindly take the pain and discover the best oven fried chicken formula?

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  • Anna

    May 3, 2022 at 2:25 PM Reply

    I love karaage and these looked incredibly delicious! Any other recommendations of caviar instead of the ikura? Thanks!

    • mandy@ladyandpups

      May 5, 2022 at 2:16 PM Reply

      Anna, sorry for the late reply! You can use any kinds of caviar really :)

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