Julia’s Busuttil Nishimura’s chicken nanban

Ingredients

• Steamed Japanese rice, dressed mizuna and shichimi togarashi, to serve
• SWEET VINEGAR SAUCE
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin
• TARTARE SAUCE
• 100 gm Kewpie mayonnaise
• 1 golden shallot, finely chopped
• 1 hard-boiled egg (see note), chopped
• 3 cornichons, finely chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp hot Japanese mustard
• FRIED CHICKEN
• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 500gm)
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 60 gm (1/2 cup) potato starch
• Neutral-flavoured oil, for deep-frying

Instructions

1. 1

   1: For sweet vinegar sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves (2 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

2. 2

   2: For tartare sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl, season and refrigerate until required.

3. 3

   3: For fried chicken, season chicken generously with fine sea salt. Place eggs and potato starch in separate shallow bowls. In batches, dip chicken in egg, then dust in potato starch, shaking off excess.

4. 4

   4: Half fill a large saucepan with oil. Place over medium heat until oil reaches 170°C on a deep-frying thermometer. Deep-fry chicken, in batches, turning halfway through (5-6 minutes). Drain on a wire rack set over a baking tray lined with paper towel to drain. Add to sweet vinegar sauce, turn to coat, then, thickly slice.

5. 5

   5: Divide fried chicken, steamed rice and mizuna among serving bowls. Serve topped with tartare sauce and scattered with shichimi togarashi.