Karaage

Method

1. Pat 180 g of boneless chicken thigh dry and cut it, skin left on, into rough 4 cm pieces — irregular shapes give better crust. Score the thickest parts lightly so the marinade reaches the middle.
2. In a bowl stir together 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp of sake, 1 tsp of mirin, 1 tsp of grated ginger with its juice, 1 grated garlic clove and 0.25 tsp of sugar. Add the chicken, massage the marinade in with your fingers for a minute, cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
3. Pour the frying oil into a small deep saucepan or wok to a depth of about 5 cm and set it over medium heat until it reaches 160C — a chopstick dipped in should give a slow steady stream of small bubbles.