KATSUDON

I find Japanese cuisine to be one of the most difficult to master. The flavors are often so subtle that you really need to balance them perfectly. But that doesn’t stop me from trying.

In Japan, Katsudon is not one of the more high-end dishes. It’s actually a comfort food that is almost as popular as ramen with the Gen-Z crowd. It’s basically schnitzel with sushi rice. It’s worth the trip to your local Asian market to get your pantry stocked. All of the ingredients below can be found on-line too:

Nori Fume Furikake Rice Seasoning

Marukan Rice Vinegar

Annie Chun’s Organic Seeweed

Original Dashi Stock Powder

Shichimi Togarashi

Sushi Rice

INGREDIENTS

FOR RICE

2 cups uncooked sushi rice

2 ¼ cups water

2 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar

1 tablespoons Japanese rice seasoning (Nori Fume Furikake)

FOR STOCK

2 cups dashi soup stock, prepared as per instructions

⅓ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon sugar

FOR BREADING

flour (for dusting)

2 eggs beaten

panko (for coating)

salt and pepper

FOR CHICKEN KATSU

canola oil (for frying)

2 onions thinly sliced

3 boneless chicken thighs, skin removed and pounded to ½” thickness

Sea salt

3 eggs beaten

FOR GARNISH

1 sheet nori, crumbled (Annie Chun’s Organic Seeweed)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

shichimi

PREPARATION

FOR RICE

Rinse sushi rice in strainer until water is clear. Combine with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 18 minutes. (Note: If using a rice cooker, only use 2 cups of water.) With wooden spoon, cut in rice vinegar and rice seasoning. Cover and keep warm.

FOR STOCK

In medium saucepan, heat dashi until boiling. Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

FOR KATSU SAUCE

In large skillet, add one cup of stock and sliced onions. Bring to boil, then simmer for ten minutes. Onions should be translucent.

FOR CHICKEN

While katsu sauce is simmering, season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken first in flour, then eggs, then panko.

Fill medium sized pot with 1” canola oil. Heat until oil is 350 degrees. Carefully place one piece of chicken at a time into pot. Fry for three to four minutes each side, or until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. Lightly season with sea salt. When cool enough to handle, slice into ½” strips.

Gently place chicken pieces on top of onions and stock in skillet. Drizzle three beaten eggs over all and gentle toss until eggs are cooked, about two minutes. If all of stock has been absorbed, add some of remaining stock. You don’t want the dish to be soupy, just moist.

Over a bowl of rice, place chicken pieces and top with onion and egg mixture. Drizzle with more stock if still too dry.

Garnish with crumbled nori, scallions, and shichimi.