Miyazaki-Style Chicken Nanban with Proper Tartare Sauce

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

Crisp fried chicken thighs bathed in a sweet-sour soy vinegar glaze, then smothered in a chunky egg-and-pickle tartare. It's Japan's greatest fakeaway — sticky, tangy, creamy and shatteringly crunchy all at once.

Per serving: 712 kcal · 45.0g protein · 38.0g carbs · 42.0g fat

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken thighs, skin removed (about 700g)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (for marinade)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• Neutral oil, for shallow frying (about 500ml)
• For the nanban sauce:
• 6 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• For the tartare sauce:
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled and cooled
• 6 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced and rinsed
• 3 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, chopped
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• To serve: shredded white cabbage, steamed rice, lemon wedges

Method

1. Butterfly the thicker parts of the chicken thighs so each is an even thickness. Toss with salt, white pepper, soy sauce and grated ginger and leave 15 minutes.
2. Make the nanban sauce: warm the rice vinegar, soy, sugar, mirin and chilli flakes in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a wide shallow dish and set aside.
3. Make the tartare: roughly chop the boiled eggs, keeping some texture. Mix with mayonnaise, rinsed onion, cornichons, capers, parsley and vinegar. Season and chill.
4. Mix the flour and cornflour on a plate. Pat the chicken dry-ish, dip each piece in beaten egg, then dredge firmly in the flour mix.
5. Heat 2cm of oil in a deep frying pan to 170C. Fry the chicken in batches, 4-5 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through (75C inside). Drain briefly on a rack.
6. While still piping hot, lay each piece in the nanban sauce for 30 seconds a side so it drinks up the glaze.
7. Slice into thick strips, pile onto rice with shredded cabbage, spoon over generous tartare and finish with a squeeze of lemon.