Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients

• 680 g (1½ lb) Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into 4 even cutlets
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) Plain flour, for the coating
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 115 g (4 oz) Panko breadcrumbs
• 240 ml (1 cup) Neutral oil, for shallow frying, about 1 cm (0.4 in) deep in a large, deep frying pan
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 large Carrot, finely diced
• 2 Garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tbsp Butter or neutral oil, for the sauce
• 2 tbsp Plain flour, for the sauce
• 2 tbsp Mild curry powder
• 480 ml (2 cups) Chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tsp Honey
• 340 g (12 oz) Cooked short-grain rice, to serve, cooked weight

You’ll need: Large, deep frying pan, Cooking thermometer, Saucepan, Wire rack, Baking paper

Method

1. 1

   Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, then stir in the flour and curry powder and cook for 1 minute.

2. 2

   Simmer. Gradually stir in the stock, then add the soy sauce, ketchup and honey. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the carrot is soft and the sauce is thick. For a smooth sauce, blend it with a stick blender; keep the pan on the board and hold the blender below the surface to avoid splashes.

3. 3

   Prepare the chicken. Place the cutlets between sheets of baking paper and gently flatten to an even thickness, about 1 cm (0.4 in). Season with salt. Set up three shallow dishes with the flour, beaten egg and panko. Coat each cutlet in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on.

4. 4

   Shallow-fry. Pour the frying oil into a large, deep frying pan and heat over medium heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a pinch of panko sizzles steadily at once. Lower two cutlets in, laying them away from you. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden and at least 75°C (167°F) in the centre, checking with a thermometer. Keep a lid nearby and never leave hot oil unattended. Drain on a wire rack and repeat.

5. 5

   Serve. Rest the cutlets for 3 minutes, slice, and serve over the rice with the curry sauce.