With the right key ingredients, you can easily make katsu at home. Made with pork (like we do at the Sushi Cafe) or pounded chicken breasts, katsu or cutlet, are breaded with crunchy panko breadcrumbs and fried until it becomes it famous golden brown exterior.
Key ingredients to make the perfect katsu at home:
Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko is lighter, crispier and airier than regular breadcrumbs. Because panko is lighter and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, it’s perfect for fried foods, as it absorbs less oil and grease, making the end result not quite as heavy as a regular breading. Via thespruce.com.
Katsu Sauce – You can’t eat katsu without that thick, sweet and savory dipping sauce on the side. Think of it as the barbecue sauce to your chicken nuggets, but SO.MUCH.BETTER.
CHICKEN KATSU RECIPE TAKEN FROM FOODREPUBLIC.COM:
Ingredients:
4 (8-ounce) chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
salt (Okinawan sea salt at Seki), to taste
1 cup fine Japanese panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions:
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt.
Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate dishes.
Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess.
Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well-coated on both sides.
Heat 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet to 350°F.
Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden-brown.
Chef’s notes:
It is important to cook at right temperature (350°F). The katsu’s breading will separate from the meat if the temperature is too low and will burn if the temperature is too high.
As you start frying, moisture content from the meat begins to show up as tiny bubbles. The size of bubbles get larger when the meat starts floating in oil.
You should feel a moderate vibration as you pick up the meat with cooking chopsticks. This is a signal that meat is cooked through.
