FRIED CHICKEN HOT POT

Kara-Age Sleet Nabe/ から揚げみぞれ鍋

It does not make sense, when you fry chicken nuggets until crispy then put them in the dashi soup, right? No, not a whole lot. but this is our favorite hot-pot dish. Although I don’t mind having this dish every week in cold months, it’s not so fun to fry the chicken pieces before hand every time.

According to the original recipe from ‘NHK Today’s Cooking magazine, it’s a speedy nabe/鍋 (earthenware pot) dish because you are supposed to use store purchased ‘ever so popular’ kara-age/ seasoned Japanese style fried chicken nuggets which are readily available in any convenience store or grocery store… if you live.in Japan. I get that the nice umami flavor rendered from kara-age thus the cooking time is short. The grated daikon (in nabe term, this is called mizore/みぞれ, means sleet) tames the otherwise oily soup.

Gazillions of kara-age recipes are floating around on-line and I have my own recipe too…the freshly fried piece is most desirable…just be careful..it’s very hot! Warning: too much test munching while frying results in fewer pieces to go into the pot.

Marc’s kara-age recipe is one of my favorite. It’s a little sweeter. While you are at his site, check out his Orange Chicken; read the charming story and be awed by great photos. This recipe also requires kara-age…why not shoot two birds with one oil… oops, one rock?

Nipponnin’s Basic Kara-Age recipe- (Print Recipe Here)

• Boneless chicken thigh about 450g cut in 2 inch chunks.
• Marinating sauce – 2 Tablespoons of sake, mirin , soy sauce. 1 tablespoon each (or more/less) of grated ginger ( you may use grated ginger in tube for convenience) and grated garlic.
• Potato starch (I recommend this) or corn starch approximately 1/3 cup
• Oil for frying

Put all marinating sauce ingredients in a zip-lock bag, add chicken pieces. Massage well over the tightly closed bag. Rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Drain any juice in the bag and add 1/3 starch, close the bag and shake well to coat chicken with starch. Add a little more starch if it’s too wet or if you want to have more body. Heat oil in thick bottom pan to 320F. Fry 2-3 pieces at time to avoid crowding until crispy and golden brown about 3 minutes. Receive in paper towel to absorb oil.

Basic with twist – Add 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably kewpie mayonnaise) in marinate sauce for rich creamy flavor or 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar for tanginess.

Option #1– For crispier chicken, Fry them twice, I recommend this if you just making kara-age. (Fry for 2-3 minutes first in 320 F. Rest chicken pieces on paper towel. Heat oil up to 390F and put the chicken back in oil and fry for 40 seconds)..

Option #2 – Mix potato starch and 2Tablespoons of jyoshinnko (上新粉/type of rice flour) for extra crispy texture.

Ingredients and Instruction for Kara-age Hot Pot for 4 servings

• 10 to 14 pieces chicken kara-age
• 4 to 8 pieces ganmodoki (がんもどき/ tofu fritters)
• 1 bundle mizuna,(水菜/Japanese mustard leaves)
• 4 cups dashi stock, I used NO-MSG granule dashi dissolved in 4 cups of hot water
• 3 Tablespoons sake
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon mirin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated daikon /white radish with juice 
• Yuzu pepper or yuzu paste, optional

1. Prepare the ingredients and set aside followings – 
   Put tofu fritters in very hot water to remove some of oil.
   Cut off stem from mizuna then cut in 3 inch lengths.
   Mix dashi stock, sake, soy sauce, mirin and salt in a bowl.
2. Pour dashi stock mixture in the stone pot and boil.
3. Turn down the heat to medium, add tofu fritters and kara-age pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes
   .
4. Add mizuna then grated daikon and it’s juice. Cook for 1 minute and it is done!
   
5. Serve with yuzu pepper (optional)

Following night’s supper – Kara-age Udon  All your hard work is done the night before, just put quickly rinsed frozen udon noodle in the hot-pot left over (add more dashi stock if needed and adjust seasonings) and voila!

Flavorful Korean seaweeds sheets are always welcome – my husband received it from a co-worker. Isn’t that nice? Wisely made into Kara-age rolls!

I was doing really good last week…eating right/light until my husband made shokupan, Japanese style loaf of bread. Thank you Bake for Happy Kids! Nostalgia set in….Nous sommes contents (we are happy)!