Go Back

Sanzoku-Yaki (Bandit's fried chicken) is a type of Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) originated in Shiojiri-city in Nagano prefecture, which is known for being the location of 1998 winter Olympic games. Unlike the typical bite-size Karaage, Sanzoku-Yaki is the fried chicken of one whole chicken leg weighing about 300g per piece, which often surprises people who see it for the first time. Sanzoku-yaki is full of appetising aromas of garlic, ginger and soy sauce from the marinade. Once you take a bite, the crunch of the thick crust and the juices from the meat will definitely satisfy your hunger for fried chicken.
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • 2 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 mesh strainer
  • 1 Tablespoon
  • 1 grater
  • 1 mandoline slicer
  • 1 deep pan
  • 1 pair of tongs
  • 1 wire rack
  • 1 metal tray
  • 1 saucepan or meat hammer
  • 1 Cooking knife
  • 1 Cutting board
  • Some cling wrap

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Boned chicken leg * Roughly 300~350g
  • 100 g Katakuriko (potato starch)
  • 1 Lemon wedges
  • Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

-MARINADE-

  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sake
  • 1 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 20 g Ginger
  • 1 pinch Ground white pepper
  • 1 pinch Ground black pepper

-CABBAGE SALAD-

  • 150 g Cabbage
  • 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise

Instructions
 

  • Measure the ingredients for the marinade.
  • Combine all the liquids and spices in a small mixing bowl, and grate in the ginger and garlic.
  • Stir well with a spoon to mix them.
  • Trim pieces of bones and gristles off the chicken thigh, if any.
  • Cover it with the cling wrap and flatten out by pounding it with a saucepan.
  • Check if the thigh has even thickness overall.
  • Put the thigh in a large mixing bowl and pour the marinade.
  • Rub the marinade well into the meat using a clean sanitized hand or a gloved hand.
  • Cover with cling wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for an hour.
  • Meanwhile, using a mandoline slicer, shred the cabbage into a mesh strainer placed in a large mixing bowl.
  • Soak in cold water for 3 minutes.
  • Drain and keep in the fridge until plating.
  • Cut out a lemon wedge.
  • Take the marinated chicken thigh out and dust thoroughly with the Katakuriko. Leave it for for 5 minutes so that the starch coating will better stick to the meat.
  • Heat the oil in a pan up to approx. 160℃/320℉.
  • Fry the thigh for about 4 minutes in total, turning it over after 2 minutes of frying.
  • Take it out on to a wire rack placed in a tray and rest for 4 minutes.
  • Increase the oil temperature to 180℃/356℉ and fry the thigh for the second time for 30 seconds to crisp up the crust.
  • Take the chicken out and cut into long strips.
  • Place the caggabe salad, a lemon wedge and the Sanzoku-Yaki on a serving plate and put the mayonnaise beside the salad.