Chicken Katsu with Katsu Sauce

Method

1. 1

   Make the sauce first. Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until it turns glossy and coats a spoon. It will thicken more as it cools. This is the katsu sauce. Set it aside.

2. 2

   Pound the thighs to an even thickness, about half an inch. Salt and pepper both sides. Set out three shallow dishes: flour, beaten egg, and panko. Dip each thigh in flour, then egg, then panko, and press the crumbs on so they stick. Rest them 5 minutes. The rest is what keeps the crust from sliding off in the oil.

3. 3

   Heat the avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium-high until a pinch of panko sizzles at once. The oil should come about halfway up a cutlet. Fry in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until the crust is deep gold and the center of the thickest piece reads 165°F. Do not crowd the pan. A crowded pan steams the crust pale.

4. 4

   Drain on a rack. Rest 3 minutes, then slice each cutlet across the grain into strips. Mound the cabbage beside the chicken. Serve the sauce in a small bowl, or lay a stripe of it on the plate. Do not pour the whole cup over the crust or you will lose the crunch you just made.

From the kitchen

• Use avocado oil for the fry. Olive oil cannot take this heat, and it will taste bitter. Strain the oil and use it again the same day if you are also making the curry. Do not keep used frying oil for weeks.
• A bottle of tonkatsu sauce from the store often contains vegetable oil. This pan of ketchup, Worcestershire, soy, and mirin does not. If you have no mirin, the teaspoon of honey is enough sweetness.
• Breasts will work if you pound them thin and pull them at 165°F. Thighs stay juicier when the crust takes a few minutes.