Japanese Katsu Curry

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, butterflied and flattened
• 110 g plain flour — 80 g to coat the chicken, 30 g for the roux
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120 g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 30 g butter
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 700 ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• oil, for shallow frying

Method

1. Sweat the vegetables

   Cook the onion and carrot in the butter over a low heat until soft and sweet, with no colour to speak of.

   15 min

2. Make the curry roux

   Stir in the curry powder and flour and cook for two full minutes. Skipping this leaves a raw, powdery edge that no amount of simmering removes.

3. Simmer the sauce

   Add the stock a ladle at a time, whisking smooth, then the soy and honey. Simmer until it coats a spoon, and blend if you want it silky.

   20 min

4. Crumb the chicken

   Season the flattened chicken, then coat in flour, egg and panko in that order, pressing the crumbs on firmly.

5. Fry

   Shallow fry in 170°C oil until deep golden on both sides and cooked through. Drain on a rack, not paper — paper steams the underside soft.

   8 min

6. Serve

   Slice the katsu thickly and serve over rice with the sauce poured alongside, so the crumb stays crisp.