- 3 chicken breasts (1.6 lb)
- 2 Tbsp. sake
- Splash of mirin
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- Panko
- Oil for deep frying
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Slice the chicken diagonally. (This cutting technique is called “Sogigiri” in Japanese). Each piece will have more surface area so it will cook faster.
Put the chicken in a bowl and add sake, mirin, salt, and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Dust the flour on the chicken and remove excess flour, Then dip it in beaten egg.
Lastly, dredge the chicken in panko and remove the excess. If you have time, let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Heat ½ inch of oil in the cast iron skillet. Drop a piece of panko to see if the oil is ready. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of oil. The oil for Chicken Katsu should be at 180 degrees.
Put 2-3 pieces of chicken in at a time. If you put too many chicken pieces, the temperature of oil will drop too quickly and the chicken will end up absorbing too much oil. Skim breadcrumbs in between batches.
Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack or to remove excess oil.
Serve with japanese rice and, tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise.