My friend Colleen recently told me about the Coastal Range Organics chicken she purchased at Costco and how much she likes it. Typically when I go to Costco I zoom around with my cart trying to dodge the shoppers that clog the aisles. I zero in on the items that are familiar to me and don’t pay attention to other products. So thanks, Colleen, for bringing the Coastal Range Organics chicken to my attention! I found it to be superior to the chicken I always bought in the past.
Chicken katsu is one of my favorites and very simple to prepare. Chicken breasts become much more tender when pounded and this also allows them to cook evenly. Properly prepared chicken katsu has a crunchy exterior and tender interior.
Lightly dust your pounded chicken cutlets in flour then in the egg mixture. Repeat this process once again and finally coat the chicken with panko. The double coating of flour and egg gives the chicken a super crunchy crust.
There are many brands of tonkatsu sauce but the selection here on Maui is very limited. I’ve tried a few and found this brand to be my favorite so far.
Chicken Katsu
Serves 4 -6
Ingredients
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise and pounded 1/3 inch thick.
1/2 cup flour
3 large eggs
2 1/c cups panko (4 oz. package)
3/4 cup canola oil
Preparation
Cut each chicken breast in half, crosswise. Pound chicken in a Ziploc bag until each piece is about 1/3 inch thick.
Place flour and panko on two large paper plates. Whisk eggs in a wide, shallow bowl.
Lightly salt and pepper the chicken. Dust the chicken in flour then in the beaten eggs. Repeat this step one more time then dredge the chicken in panko, patting the panko crumbs on both sides of the chicken.
In a large 12 inch saute pan, heat 3/4 cup canola oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the chicken to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn chicken over and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate. Continue cooking the rest of the chicken.
Cut chicken into 3/4 inch slices and serve with finely shredded cabbage, hot mustard, tonkatsu sauce and steamed rice. With its sweet and tangy dressing, cucumber and carrot namasu is a perfect side dish.