Chicken Katsu Musubi

Ingredients

• 2.25 cup Rice (or 3 rice cooker cups)
• 2.5 cup Water (or fill to 3 line in rice cooker)
• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (cut into 3 equal pieces each)
• Salt (to taste)
• Black Pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour (lightly salted for dredging)
• 2 Egg (beaten)
• 2 cup Japanese Panko
• Frying Oil (enough to submerge; about 3 inches in pot)
• 3 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp Ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp Hot Honey
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 sheet Nori (cut into 3 even strips each)
• Furikake (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Add your rice to your rice cooker bowl and rinse it 4-5 times, or until the water runs clear.

2. 2

   Place the bowl back in the cooker, add your water (2 1/2 cups), and press the cook button.

3. 3

   Cut each chicken thigh into 3 equal pieces widthwise (short ways) to avoid making long 'chicken sticks'.

4. 4

   Cover the chicken pieces with Saran Wrap and gently beat them with a heavy-bottomed pot to even out the thickness for even cooking.

5. 5

   Season both sides of each chicken piece with salt and black pepper.

6. 6

   Set up a dredging station with three bowls: the first with lightly salted all-purpose flour, the second with beaten eggs, and the third with panko breadcrumbs.

7. 7

   Dip a piece of chicken into the flour, flipping and tapping to ensure complete and even coverage.

8. 8

   Shake off any excess flour and submerge the chicken in the egg bath, flipping to coat entirely.

9. 9

   Lift the chicken, let excess egg drip off, and place it into the panko; press the panko firmly into the chicken to build a strong coat.

10. 10

    Repeat the dredging process for all remaining pieces of chicken.

11. 11

    Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with about 3 inches of frying oil and heat it to 350°F.

12. 12

    Carefully fry the chicken cutlets for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the exterior is golden brown.

13. 13

    Remove the katsu and let it drain on a wire rack; repeat with the remaining chicken.

14. 14

    In a small sauce pot or fry pan, combine the shoyu, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, hot honey, and brown sugar.

15. 15

    Whisk the sauce over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes until the sugars are dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly (or continue reducing to your desired thickness).

16. 16

    Cut the nori sheets into 3 even strips each and lay one strip rough-side up.

17. 17

    Place a musubi mold at the end of the nori strip closest to you and add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of cooked rice.

18. 18

    Using the musubi press, push the rice down firmly and then lift off the mold.

19. 19

    Sprinkle furikake over the rice block.

20. 20

    Place one piece of chicken katsu on top of the rice and brush or drizzle it generously with the prepared sauce.

21. 21

    Spread a small pinch of rice along the far end of the nori strip to act as glue.

22. 22

    Tightly roll the nori around the rice and chicken to complete the musubi.

Notes

To ensure even cooking, do not skip the step of pounding the chicken thighs. Cutting the chicken 'short ways' ensures the pieces fit the musubi mold correctly. If you prefer a thicker glaze, reduce the sauce for a few extra minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• snack
• fried
• chicken
• japanese-inspired
• hawaiian-inspired
• portable