Recipe: Chicken Nanban Don

Recipe: Chicken NanbanDon

The Chicken Nanban Don first came into existence in a small diner, on a remote island, along the southern part of Japan. From there, the dish became a massive hit in Japan, and it is featured in many prominent Japanese restaurants both locally and internationally. 

The dish was apparently inspired by a dish called Nanbanzuké, which is a combination of fried fish and onions, dipped in vinegar sauce. Paired with tartar sauce, the Chicken Nanban Don is a delicious dish that has a savoury flavour to it, which will leave you wanting for more.

Check out the recipe below to make your own Chicken Nanban Don. 

Ingredients (2 servings):

Preparation for Chicken

• Vegetable Oil
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• 450 g of boneless chicken thighs (with skin)
• 1 jumbo egg
• Salt and Pepper

Preparation of Nanban Sauce

• 2 tbsp of sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp of usukuchi soy sauce
• ½ tsp of ginger
• 2 tbsp of rice vinegar
• Sugar, to taste

Preparation of Tartar Sauce

• 1 tbsp of celery
• 1 egg (medium-boiled, peeled and chopped)
• 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
• ½ of scallions
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• ¼ tsp of lemon zest
• ½ tsp of whole grain mustard
• ⅛ tsp of ground white pepper
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Begin by preparing the tartar sauce, using a small bowl and then adding the boiled egg, minced scallion, finely chopped celery, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir the mixture well to allow the combination of the ingredients to blend easily. Then, add some salt and ground white pepper, to taste.
2. To prepare the Nanban sauce, start by placing a small saucepan above the stove and then adding the soy sauce, sugar, sake and grated ginger. Bring the dial-up to allow the heat to reach high heat for boiling. Allow the mixture to boil for about 1 minute and then turn off the heat. Pour in the rice vinegar into the saucepan and then stir well.
3. Start by pouring the vegetable oil into a big pot and then bringing the heat up (170°C).
4. Prepare the chicken by removing any form of excess fat and then add a bit of salt and pepper as seasoning.
5. Pat some flour onto each piece of chicken and then place the chicken pieces onto the pan to leave it aside.
6. In a glass bowl, beat the jumbo egg and then immerse the pieces of chicken to properly coat the surface with the beaten egg.
7. Place the egg-coated pieces of chicken into the big pot with the boiling oil and then sprinkle some of the leftover egg on each piece of chicken.
8. Use a pair of chopsticks or tongs to wrap the eggs all over each piece of chicken.
9. Allow each piece of chicken to fry for about 8 minutes until it reaches a golden-brown appearance. Once it has been fried, dip the chicken into the Nanban sauce and evenly coat the chicken by tossing it all around. The dish is now finished, and it is best served with tartar sauce on the side.