Across the world, every country has its version of fried chicken. It’s easy to see why! A crispy, crunchy, and greasy crust houses a core of tender meat — all of these qualities make for a pretty epic bite of fried chicken if I do say! But what if I shattered your memories of fried chicken with something better, newer, and (may I say) crispier? Luckily there is such an ingredient out there! This one thing makes a crust that won’t get soggy or oily.
Everyone — and I mean everyone — says they have the key to fried chicken, but this way is easier, MUCH easier than any recipe we have stateside. With this method, you don’t have to use every spice in your cabinet, mess your hands up by double dipping your chicken, or shake everything in a paper bag. To get crispy fried chicken, turn to Japan and its under-the-radar ingredient — potato starch.
Now you may think that starch is a starch, but potato starch is far different than your typical cornstarch. Sure, cornstarch is good for giving you thicker cookies and a chewy texture, but potato starch handles the heat differently. Cornstarch is good for stovetop cooking, which is generally over medium heat for a long duration of time.
Potato starch, however, is better for ultra-hot temperatures of deep frying and a shorter time. Unlike cornstarch which, when used in large quantities has to be cooked to subdue the taste, potato starch can be used in quick-cooking recipes. The taste of potato starch fried chicken is way more pleasant than the often chalky texture of a cornstarch-based coating.
In this video, you see the chicken is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, fresh chopped ginger, and sake (rice wine).
The simple potato starch dredge is applied. If you like a thin, crackle-like coating apply a thin coating, if you want a hard, thick shell apple a thicker amount of potato starch.
Unlike classic American-style fried chicken (cooked in big and fried in whole pieces), Japanese-style fried chicken is cut into large bite-size portions. This sizing variation makes for a crispy coating on all sides. The result? Every part of the chicken finishes cooking at the same time.
If you’re interested in trying this potato starch fried chicken, watch the video below!