Recipe: Karaage (からあげ)

Karaage (からあげ=Japanese style fried chicken)

Karaage is one of the most popular Japanese dishes. Tips: Marinate chicken in a mix of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic for about 15min-1 hour in a refrigerator before frying. I have optimized this recipe, and my husband love it the most:)

1. Prepare the following ingredients.

  • 300g boneless chicken thigh (cut into bite-size pieces) or chicken drumette
  • Ginger (about 1 inch): peel and grate it
  • 1 piece of garlic: chop into small size
  • 2 table spoons soy sauce
  • 2 table spoons Japanese cooking sake (料理酒=cooking alcohol)
  • Flour

2. Combine grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and Japanese cooking sake in a bowl

3.  Add chicken in the marinade. Mix well by hand, and marinate them for 15min-1h.

 

 

4. Coat the chicken evenly and lightly with flour

5. Deep-fly at 160-170 (for about 5min, but please check the chicken by yourself)

6.   Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Pork Kakuni (豚角煮)

Pork Kakuni (豚角煮=Buta Kakuni=Braised Pork)

Pork Kakuni is a traditional Japanese pork dish from Kyushu. It’s my husband’s favorite and most Japanese love it. I have cooked it so many times, so it has totally become my specialty:)  Simmering pork belly chunk until it becomes very very soft (ほろほろ horohoro) is key. It usually takes over one hour, but if you have pressure cooker, it takes just 15-20min. Very very easy!

1.  Prepare the following ingredients.

  • 400-500g pork belly chunk
  • Green part of leeks
  • White part of leeks: Open and cut it into 2 inches strips like matchstick
  • Ginger: Peel and slice it
  • 1 piece of garlic: slice it

2.   Prepare the following seasonings.

  • 1 Hakkaku (star anise)
  • 1:2 = 150 mL main seasoning*: 300mL Water

*Main seasoning: 60mL soy source, 50mL sake and mirin, 20g sugar, and 2 teaspoons ‘dashi’. If you have SUKIYAKI no TARE, you can use it as the main seasoning. That’s easy. In case of this, 100mL : 200mL water is better.

3.  Heat a little bit of sesame oil with Green part of leeks, ginger, garlic, and hakkaku.

4.  Add pork and brown it.

5.  Put main seasoning and 4 into a pressure cooker and simmer it for 15-20min. Turn off the heat and wait for it gets room temperature.

6.  Remove a lid and reduce.

7.     Top with white part of leeks for decoration. (Japanese sesame leaves is also great)