Japanese Chicken Thigh Food

JAPANESE MUM'S CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a high heat.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove any scum that rises to the surface.
• Increase the heat, turning the drumsticks frequently in the liquid, and cook until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze.
• Arrange the chicken on a serving platter, remove the garlic clove and chili from the liquid, and spoon the glaze over.
• NOTE It's a glaze rather than a sauce, so there's not a whole lot of it.

ASIAN CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BROCCOLINI

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Put the chicken on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sprinkle with the five-spice powder and toss. Arrange skin-side up; season with salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the hoisin sauce, brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Grate 1 garlic clove into the sauce; set aside. Chop the remaining garlic. Trim the broccolini and slice lengthwise into long florets. Trim and scrub the carrots; halve or quarter lengthwise.
• Preheat the broiler. Brush half the hoisin sauce mixture on the chicken and broil until bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush with the remaining sauce and broil 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccolini, carrots and chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is soft, 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Uncover and stir in the sesame seeds.
• Divide the chicken among plates; top with the scallion. Serve with the vegetables.

ASIAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until golden brown, 8-10 minutes on each side. In a small bowl, whisk water, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and five-spice powder. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender, 30-35 minutes, turning chicken occasionally., In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with green onions. If desired, serve with rice. Freeze option: Cool chicken. Freeze in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat slowly in a covered skillet until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165°, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

CRISPY JAPANESE-STYLE CHICKEN BURGERS

Steps:

• Mix together the mirin, garlic, soy and ginger to make a marinade. Mix 1 tbsp of this into the mayonnaise, then cover and chill. Put the chicken in a large bowl, pour over the remaining marinade and leave at room temperature for 10 mins, or longer in the fridge if you have time.
• Spread the cornflour over a plate and roll the chicken pieces in it until coated. Heat 2cm oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Carefully add one-third of the chicken and fry for about 8 mins, turning occasionally, until crisp and cooked through. Lift from the oil, set aside on kitchen paper, then repeat with the rest of the chicken. Serve in the rolls with the mayonnaise and lettuce.

ASIAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Combine the soy sauce, sugar, chicken broth, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a large zip lock bag. Mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, seal the bag, and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
• Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and coat with cooking spray.
• Once the pan is hot, add the chicken thighs, 3-4 at a time, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. Don't move the chicken once you put it in the pan, let it get nice and brown on one side before you turn it over. Remove the chicken to a serving platter.
• Pour the remaining marinade in the hot pan and cook down for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain the sauce in a sieve and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or the chopped scallions.
• Note: Tamari is a type of soy sauce that his a richer flavor. Once you try Tamari, you won't buy any other soy sauce again!

ASIAN GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Whisk the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour half the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag; retain the other half of the sauce. Place the chicken thighs into the bag containing marinade, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Shake a few times to coat chicken; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning bag once or twice.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Pour the other half of the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce. Remove the chicken from the bag; discard used marinade. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and brush with 1/3 of the thickened marinade from the saucepan.
• Bake 30 minutes, basting one more time after 10 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes; meanwhile, bring remaining marinade back to a boil for 1 or 2 minutes, and serve chicken with marinade. Sprinkle with green onions.

JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN (CHICKEN KARAAGE)

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken, cut off any excess fat and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Using a sharp knife, score the chicken, especially in fibrous parts of the meat. Use the point of the knife to poke small holes in the chicken, then cut the chicken in bite-size (1 1/2-inch) pieces.
• In a mixing bowl combine the chicken, sake, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, rubbing the marinade into the chicken. Marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Add the egg slowly to the chicken while mixing with your hands. Add the cornstarch and lightly toss to coat the chicken. In a medium saucepan heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer reads 335 degrees F. Fry the chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown, about 10 minutes (the internal temperature of the meat should be 165 degrees F). Shake off any excess grease. Cool and reserve the oil for another use. Plate the chicken and garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

KARAAGE (JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Mix garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sesame oil, black pepper, cayenne, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Place chicken in the marinade and mix until thoroughly and evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 10 hours.
• Set up your dredging station: Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Add potato starch to a wide, shallow bowl.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Stir to coat with marinade. Toss 2 or 3 pieces at a time in the potato starch until evenly coated. Shake off any excess starch and place chicken on the wire rack. Repeat to dredge remaining pieces.
• Tap the rack on the baking sheet to remove any loose chunks of starch, then transfer the baking sheet and rack of chicken to the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Without crowding, lower chicken carefully into the hot oil in batches. Fry, tossing occasionally, until cooked through and the outside is crunchy and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken.