Spicy Karaage Matcha Crispy Rice

Spicy Karaage Matcha Crispy Rice

How about this unique appetizer, where the bitter taste of matcha goes perfectly with spicy karaage chicken mayo? The subtle aroma of yuzu also makes it a perfect match!

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Crispy Rice

• 2 cups Sushi Rice or Left over Japanese rice
• ½ Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp Rice Flour
• 500ml Rice Bran Oil for deep frying

Chicken Karaage

• 300g Chicken Thigh
• A pinch of Sea Salt
• A pinch of Black Pepper

A

• 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Mirin
• 1 tsp Grated Ginger
• 1 tsp Grated Garlic
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 20g All Purpose Flour (Rice Flour can be the substitute for gluten free)
• 30g Potato Starch
• Rice Bran Oil

Chilli Garlic Sauce

• 4 pcs Red Jalapenos or Fresno
• 5 pcs Garlic Cloves
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Beet Sugar
• ½ tsp Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp Applecider Vinegar
• ½ tsp Rice Flour
• ½ tsp Onion Powder

Spicy Mayo

• 215g Japanese Mayo
• 105g Chilli Garlic Sauce

Garnish

• A pinch of Italian Parsley
• A pinch of Purple Daikon Sprouts (Only stems)
• A pinch of Yuzu Powder

Instructions:

Crispy Rice

1.  Put the sushi rice into a square mold and pack it to a certain height, then remove them. Cut them into the desired size, shape them, and put them in the freezer until they are half-thawed.
   
   
2. Prepare the frying oil. Sprinkle rice flour evenly over the half-thawed sushi rice, and start frying in the heated oil.
   
   
3. Once both sides have changed color, remove from the pot and drain off any excess oil.

Karaage

1. Remove excess fat and tendons from the chicken and cut them into pieces about 5 cm in size. If you cut them too small, the meat will not be juicy, so cut them into pieces larger than bite-sized.
   
   
2. Place the chicken in a small baking pan, mix in the seasonings, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for more than 30 minutes, this will allow the seasonings to soak in well.
   
   
3. Add oil to the pot up to about 1.6 - 2 inches from the bottom and heat to 170℃ (338°F).
   
   
4. Mix AP flour and potato starch in a baking pan. Coat the chicken thighs with batter just before frying.

Tip:
Remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator and let them bring to room temperature. Deep fry in 170℃ oil. Once the temperature reaches 180℃ (356°F), deep fry for 3 to 4 minutes. When the batter hardens, turn it over with chopsticks to expose it to air. Remove the chicken from the oil and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then let the residual heat cook it through the inside naturally. Heat the oil up to 180℃ again and add the chicken. Turn it frequently while keeping the temperature at 180℃ and fry for about 2 minutes and done!

Spicy Karaage Mayo

1. Simply chop up the medium-sized karaage chicken into small pieces.

2. Add karaage chicken to Japanese mayonnaise and our special chili garlic sauce, and mix well.

Build your crispy rice

Place the crispy rice on a plate, drizzle the spicy karaage chicken mayo evenly over it, sprinkle parsley

and daikon radish stems on top and sprinkle yuzu powder around the edges to complete the dish.