It’s been a solid month since I’ve cooked something worthwhile which isn’t to say I haven’t been cooking but I’ve been slacking a little for sure. What with Lunar New Year and visiting Rochester quite a bit I’ve been eating leftovers from my parents and clearing out some soups and boxes of food in my cupboard. Lazy cooking Emily always circles back around. But I’ve been eyeing this recipe from Bon Appetit, of course, and finally got around to cooking it and let me just say, I wasn’t disappointed. Chris Morocco makes a Spicy Chicken Katsu Sandwich which I found via the Bon Appetit YouTube and I was interested. While Chris uses the superior chicken thigh, I have a freezer full of chicken breasts that I got as a Wegman’s family pack with a coupon so I have to pick away at it somehow.
I wasn’t totally sold on a sandwich because I’m not REALLY a sandwich person and most of the time, I want something soft and warm and a sandwich is the last thing on my mind. Instead I decided to just make the chicken katsu and go with a side of rice and veggies. This isn’t to say that it wouldn’t be an amazing sandwich, it would be, I’m just more of a noodles or rice kind of person. Sandwiches have been growing on me though so it’s not totally off the table for the future.
This recipe is super easy to follow and easy to make. You just do a simple dredge and fry it and you’re done. I love the addition of hot sauce in with the egg, I used Frank’s Red Hot because it’s stocked in my fridge, and of course, panko never does anyone wrong. My thermometer is still out of commission so I’m relying on a lifetime of looking at oil and testing batter to see if it’s hot enough and wiggling the flame up and down so the food doesn’t burn. It’s not a full proof method and I’m getting closer to buying a new battery, don’t you worry. Still, this chicken cooked through in about 5 or 6 mins which was super fast and the dredge just kept all the moisture in while the panko gave it a great crust. Honestly, store bought breadcrumbs need to go in the trash and panko will live in my pantry forever and always. Decision made.
I was super excited to eat this chicken but I got a little ahead of myself and never made my rice before I started the chicken process and couldn’t stop midway through with raw chicken sitting in front of me to cook a pot so once the chicken was fried and ready I threw on a pot of rice and distracted my grumbling stomach by washing the dishes and cleaning up my kitchen a little. As the rice was cooking i decided a little avocado on the side as my veggie wasn’t going to cut it and I made some peas I had lying in my freezer. A slightly more balanced meal for sure.
Like I said, the chicken was still super moist inside but had an amazing crunch on the outside. The hot sauce and cayenne on the breading was so good and gave a really great kick. I was a little worried it wouldn’t be spicy enough because the color didn’t look as vibrant as Chris’ chicken did in the video but I went with it and anticipated adding a little hot sauce on top if needed after but that wasn’t necessary. Over all this chicken katsu was amazing. I would 10/10 recommend and plan on making again for sure. I love the crunch and the spice and with a little rice and peas on the side, the flavor was well balanced and perfectly filling. Maybe I’ll find some milk bread and actually make Chris’ sandwich next time!