Chicken Tempura (Toriten)

Method9 steps · about 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Lay the one 300–350 g chicken breast flat. Separate its tender as one piece, then slice the remaining breast on an angle into strips about 2 cm (¾ inch) wide. Combine ALL these pieces with all minced ½ tablespoon ginger (6 g), one minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and optional ¼ teaspoon MSG. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes.

   Refrigerated chicken marinade 10–15 minutes · 13 minUses 1 (300-350 g) chicken breast · 1/2 tbsp (6 g) ginger, minced · 1 clove garlic, minced · 1 tbsp sake · 1 tbsp soy sauce · 1/4 tsp salt · 1/8 tsp ground black pepper · ¼ teaspoon MSG, optional

2. 2

   Step 2: While the chicken marinates, put enough neutral vegetable or canola oil in a deep suitable pot for about a 2-inch depth. Heat over medium heat to 180°C (356°F), checking with an oil thermometer. The total oil amount depends on the pot and is separate from the batter liquids.

   Uses Neutral vegetable or canola oil, enough for about a 2-inch depth in the chosen pot; total volume and uptake vary

3. 3

   Step 3: Take every marinated chicken piece, including the tender, from the actual stage 1 batch and shake off excess marinade. Put the 3 tablespoons (30 g) cornstarch in a coating dish and lightly coat each piece in a thin even layer. Place the coated pieces separately on a tray. This cornstarch is the coating supply; do not use the 25 g batter potato starch here. Discard leftover raw-chicken-contact marinade and coating starch.

   Uses Complete actual marinated chicken-piece batch · 3 tbsp (30 g) corn starch

4. 4

   Step 4: BATTER OPTION 1 ONLY: use the ONE shared 25 g cake-flour stock and ONE shared 25 g potato-starch stock. Sift them with all ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Separately combine all 90 ml ice-cold water with EITHER the measured 1 tablespoon (15 g) whisked whole egg OR 2 teaspoons mayonnaise, not both. Add the dry mixture and gently poke/stir with chopsticks or a spoon, leaving slight lumps. If making the optional clean-batter scraps in stage 8, reserve some clean batter before any chicken is dipped; its amount is your choice. Skip stage 5 and continue to stage 6.

   Uses 25 g potato starch (2½ tablespoons): for ONE batter option · 25 g cake flour: for ONE batter option · ¼ teaspoon baking powder: option 1 only · 1 tablespoon (15 g) whisked whole egg: option 1 only, instead of mayonnaise · 2 teaspoons mayonnaise: option 1 only, instead of the 15 g whisked egg · 90 ml ice-cold water: option 1 only

5. 5

   Step 5: BATTER OPTION 2 ONLY: skip stage 4. Mix the ONE shared 25 g cake-flour stock and ONE shared 25 g potato-starch stock with all 100 ml cold beer OR carbonated water, choosing one liquid. Mix gently enough to keep the carbonation; do not add option 1 water, egg, mayonnaise or baking powder. If making the optional clean-batter scraps in stage 8, reserve some before any chicken is dipped. Continue to stage 6.

   Uses 25 g potato starch (2½ tablespoons): for ONE batter option · 25 g cake flour: for ONE batter option · 100 ml cold beer OR carbonated water: option 2 only

6. 6

   Step 6: Use ONLY the selected batter from stage 4 OR 5. Optionally add the two ice cubes to keep it cold. Work through the coated chicken in small batches, about 3–5 pieces depending on pot size. Dip each piece into the selected batter, let excess drip off and carefully lower it into the 180°C (356°F) oil. Fry each batch for about 2–3 minutes, until golden and crisp, continuing as needed until the chicken center reaches 74°C (165°F). A golden coating alone does not establish doneness. Transfer cooked pieces to a wire rack, propping them upright where possible to drain. Follow stage 7 between batches; keep any raw-contact unused batter separate from the optional clean reserve.

   Toriten fry: 2–3 minutes PER BATCH · 3 minUses Complete cornstarch-coated marinated chicken batch · Option 1 batter used for coating ONLY if selected; actual uptake unknown · Option 2 batter used for coating ONLY if selected; actual uptake unknown · Actual heated neutral frying-oil bath · 2 ice cubes, optional, to keep the chosen batter cold

7. 7

   Step 7: Between frying batches, use a slotted mesh spoon to remove cooked floating batter bits from the actual oil. Let the oil return to 180°C (356°F), then repeat stage 6 until every coated chicken piece is fried and reaches 74°C (165°F). Fully cooked crispy scraps may be saved for another dish. Do not add new raw chicken or new marinade ingredients; this completes the original batch.

   Uses Actual neutral frying-oil bath · Remaining original coated chicken pieces between batches; share not specified · Cooked drained toriten batches

8. 8

   Step 8: OPTIONAL CLEAN-BATTER SCRAPS: only if you reserved clean batter in stage 4 or 5 before dipping raw chicken, drip small amounts of that reserve into the hot frying oil and fry until cooked, crisp and golden. Drain the scraps and save them for another dish. This is separate from the chicken yield; discard unused raw-chicken-contact batter instead of treating it as a ready topping.

   Uses Clean pre-contact option 1 batter reserve, ONLY if selected and reserved · Clean pre-contact option 2 batter reserve, ONLY if selected and reserved · Actual heated neutral frying-oil bath

9. 9

   Step 9: Serve the complete fried and drained toriten batch immediately as two portions. Choose optional accompaniments as desired: ready vinegar-soy sauce mixed from equal volumes rice vinegar and Japanese soy sauce, ready tentsuyu or ponzu, karashi mustard, lemon or kabosu, and/or yuzu kosho. These are separate serving condiments, not additional marinade ingredients.

   Uses Complete fully cooked and drained toriten batch · vinegar soy sauce (1:1 ratio of rice vinegar and Japanese soy sauce), optional serving accompaniment · tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce), optional serving accompaniment · ponzu, optional serving accompaniment · karashi (Japanese mustard), optional serving accompaniment · lemon (or kabosu), optional serving accompaniment · yuzu kosho (yuzu pepper), optional serving accompaniment