Ingredients

   
600g chicken thighs, skin-on, cut into 5cm pieces
45g light soy sauce
30g sake
15g grated ginger, juice only
2g sugar
90g potato flour (or cornflour)
  Vegetable oil, for deep frying
  Japanese mayonnaise, to serve
  Lemon slices, to serve
  Shichimi togarashi (optional)

Steps

  1. Combine chicken with soy sauce, sake, ginger juice, and sugar. Stand for 10 minutes.

  2. Place flour in a tray. Pull chicken from marinade one piece at a time with chopsticks and drop into flour. Shake off excess and place in a single layer. Let floured chicken stand uncovered for at least 5 minutes before frying.

  3. Heat oil to 350°F in a wide saucepan. Fry in batches using the triple-fry method: fry 1 minute, rest 30 seconds, fry 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, fry 30 seconds–1 minute. Rest on a wire rack for 2 minutes.

  4. Serve with lemon wedge and Japanese mayonnaise, scattered with shichimi togarashi.

Notes

  • The 5-minute rest after flouring is critical — it lets the flour absorb marinade flavor and dry slightly for a crispier result.
  • Skin-on thighs are essential. Debone cutlets if you can’t find skin-on fillets.
  • Place a rack above half the frying pot — radiated heat continues cooking the chicken between fries.
  • The chicken is done when it starts to spit more on the third fry (juices being squeezed out by contracting meat hitting the oil).
  • Adding pieces to flour one at a time prevents dumping in too much marinade and stops pieces sticking together.