Cook’s notes
Confused with the description? Think of the sandwich as a person whose DNA test shows that he is one-third Japanese, one-third Italian and one-third American.
This sandwich is like that person. Chicken katsu is Japanese. What makes this one not-one-hundred-per-cent-Japanese is the addition of grated Parmesan in the coating.
Topping the cooked chicken with tomato sauce and cheese is derived from the Italian veal Parmigiana.
Then you take that ready-to-eat chicken dish and put it in a toasted bagel, and you’ve yourself a sandwich similar to American fried chicken sandwich.
Yes, it’s a fusion dish.
Why cook the chicken katsu-style? Why not just dredge in flour and fry? One word — panko. These bread flakes invented by the Japanese give any fried food an incomparable crispy surface.
We prefer chicken thigh (or leg quarter) fillets at home. You may use chicken breast fillets but take care not to overcook them as chicken breast meat dries up terribly when overcooked.
Bagels are used here but just about any bread should be good. And don’t forget to toast the bread before assembling the sandwiches for the ultimate experience.
Fried chicken (katsu) sandwich
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 skinless chicken thigh fillets
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¾ cup panko
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- cooking oil for deep frying
Sandwich
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 4 to 8 slices mozzarella
- 4 to 8 slices Parmesan
- 4 bagels or your bread of choice, split and toasted
- arugula or lettuce
Instructions
Cook the chicken katsu
- Lay the chicken fillets flat on a sheet of cling film, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with another sheet of cling film and pound to a uniform thickness.
- Place the pounded fillets between stacks of paper towels and press lightly to remove surface moisture.
- Place the starch, beaten egg and panko in three shallow bowls.
- Add the Parmesan to the panko and stir well.
- Dredge each chicken thigh in starch; shake off the excess.
- Dip each floured chicken thigh in the beaten egg, making sure that every inch of the surface is coated with egg.
- Roll each chicken fillet in panko. Make sure that the panko coating is even.
- Heat enough cooking oil so that it is at least two inches deep.
- Over medium-high heat, fry the chicken fillets, flipping them every two minutes, until the breading is golden and crisp.
- Rest the chicken katsu on a rack.
Assemble the sandwiches
- Take clean frying pan and set on the stove over low heat.
- Arrange the chicken katsu in a single layer.
- Spread a generous tablespoon of tomato sauce on top of each piece.
- Arrange the cheese slices over the tomato sauce.
- Cover the pan and, over low heat, let the tomato sauce get heated through which should be just enough time to melt the cheese. A minute, really, so long as the pan is hot.
- Cover the bottom halves of the bagels with greens, place the chicken and everything on it on top of the greens, cover with the top half of the bagels and enjoy.
Chicken schnitzel with herbs and Parmesan
