Tatsuta-age (竜田揚げ, soy-marinated fried chicken)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Agemono nabe (deep-frying pot), or a heavy Dutch oven
• •Kitchen thermometer
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Long cooking chopsticks or a spider
• •Shallow tray for coating with katakuriko

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the chicken

   Cut the chicken thighs into pieces about 3 to 4cm across, keeping them as even as you can. Even pieces cook at the same pace, which matters here because soy darkens quickly in hot oil. Leave the skin on if you have it. It protects the meat and gives the finished pieces a little richer bite.

2. 2

   Mix the marinade

   Stir the shōyu, sake, mirin, and grated ginger together in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn each piece so it is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, no longer than an hour.

   Longer isn't deeper here. Soy keeps working, and an overnight soak makes the chicken salty and tight before it ever reaches the oil.
3. 3

   Drain and blot

   Lift the chicken from the marinade and set it on a rack for 5 minutes. Blot it lightly with paper towels. You want the surface damp, not dripping, because potato starch clings to damp meat and turns gluey on wet meat.

   This is the first secret of tatsuta-age. The marinade seasons the chicken, but the coating needs restraint. Too much liquid makes a paste that falls off and burns.
4. 4

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a heavy pot to a depth of about 5cm, filling the pot no more than one-third full. Heat to 170C. If you have no thermometer, dip in a dry wooden chopstick; small steady bubbles should gather around it. The oil should be hot enough to set the starch quickly, but not so fierce that the soy-dark surface scorches before the chicken cooks.

5. 5

   Coat with starch

   Put the katakuriko in a shallow tray. Press each piece of chicken into the starch, turn it well, then shake off the excess. Let the coated pieces sit for 2 minutes, just until the starch turns from powdery white to a damp patchwork. That tiny hydration helps the coat hold. If a spot turns bare, dust it again lightly.

6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Lower 5 or 6 pieces into the oil, one at a time, and do not crowd the pot. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until the coating is mottled amber and russet and the chicken reaches 74C at the center. If the pieces darken too fast, lower the heat before the next batch. The color should come from the soy and starch, not from burning.

7. 7

   Drain and serve

   Move the fried pieces to a wire rack, not directly onto paper towels. A rack lets the underside stay crisp; paper traps moisture beneath the coat. Rest for 2 minutes, then plate with shiso or cabbage if using and a wedge of sudachi or lemon. Squeeze citrus at the table, because acid softens the crisp coat if it sits too long.

Chef Tips

• •Use chicken thigh, not breast, for the first attempt. Thigh stays juicy while the soy-dark coating takes color, and it forgives the cook who is still learning the rhythm of the oil.
• •Use katakuriko, sold today as potato starch. The old name comes from katakuri, dogtooth violet, but modern potato starch gives the clean crispness this dish wants. Wheat flour makes a softer, heavier coat.
• •For the fish version, choose firm, glistening fresh mackerel, yellowtail, or cod and shorten the marinade to 10 minutes. Fish takes seasoning faster than chicken, and tired fish will only taste tired after frying. Nothing hidden.
• •Keep the batches small. Crowding drops the oil temperature, and then the starch drinks oil instead of setting crisp. Frying is mostly temperature and patience, two unglamorous virtues with excellent results.

Advance Preparation

• •Mix the marinade up to 1 day ahead and keep it refrigerated. Add the chicken only 20 to 30 minutes before frying.
• •Cut the chicken up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it covered. Keeping the pieces separate from the marinade prevents the soy from tightening the meat.
• •Fried tatsuta-age is best within 20 minutes, but it also cools well for bento. Cool it uncovered before packing so the coat stays crisp, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)