In Hawaii it is called "chicken katsu" but the Japanese refer to this dish as "torikatsu." It is referred to as "tonkatsu" when it is made with pork cutlets. The katsu sauce recipe uses ingredients readily available in most Canadian kitchens. The goal with this recipe was to achieve "fried chicken" with as little fat as possible. Chicken katsu can be served over a bed of sliced cabbage and/or with rice.
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook over low heat until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. This will take 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.
Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a plastic freezer bag and flatten to an even thickness of 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). An easy way to do this is to put the boneless breasts in a plastic bag and use a tortilla press, smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to lightly flatten. Try not to tear the meat.
Sprinkle flour over a dinner plate and then sprinkle the panko crumbs over another.
Add eggs to a shallow bowl and beat with a fork until pale yellow.
Coat the chicken pieces in the flour on both sides using a fork. Then move the chicken to the egg and coat both sides. Finally, coat both sides with the panko crumbs. Set aside on a large plate arranging so the pieces do not overlap.
To fry the breaded chicken, work in two batches. Heat two tablespoons oil (30 ml) in skillet over medium high heat. Sauté half of the breaded chicken until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven. Add other 2 tablespoons (30 mL) oil and fry the remaining chicken pieces.
Shred the cabbage and place over a serving platter.
To serve, cut the fried chicken across the grain (horizontal) into strips. Use a large knife to lift the chicken as one piece and lay over the shredded cabbage. Continue with other pieces. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with the Katsu Sauce lightly spooned over the chicken. Alternately, you can serve the sauce in a bowl on the side.
Panko are a type of Japanese breadcrumbs. They are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs and are available at Asian food stores as well as some larger grocery stores.
