Simple as it sounds, there’s way more to chicken karaage than plain old fried chicken. A filling, Japanese soul food, it is – according to Tim (and he’s an expert) ‘is the best friend chicken recipe you can make – it’s got a crunch to juicy chicken ratio, it’s nugget size pieces, and it’s super easy.’ Tims makes his by infusing succulent chicken thighs in a complex marinade of spices and other delicious ingredients, before coating them in his own creation – a seasoned batter made with cornflour and an array of Japanese ingredients tp pack in as much flavour as possible. Yes, it’s fried but – trust us – KFC this is not.
At Tim’s former restaurant, Nanban in London, the dish was served with a sprinkling of lime juice to add a tangy freshness to the chicken without overpowering the flavours. We also recommend serving it with a hearty dollop of Kewpie mayo, which is sort of mayo on steroids that can be bought in large supermarkets, Japanese or Asian supermarkets or online, as well as some of the other ingredients in the recipe.
