A twist on a chicken katsu curry. These sandwiches have the perfect combination of textures. Soft milk bread, crispy katsu, a moist katsu soaked milk bread layer and crunchy iceberg.
Notes
You can make your own milk bread. I used this recipe, shaped into a loaf: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/japanese-milk-bread-rolls-recipe
Brioche is a good alternative to milk bread, as they’re both light, fluffy and slightly sweet.
The roux gives the curry a deep complex flavour. It’s easy to make yourself but you can purchase premade Japanese curry roux online.
I added a third slice of milk bread, soaked in the curry sauce inspired by the ‘Friends’ thanksgiving sandwich.
If you need any help, or have any questions, you can message me on my Instagram @bonniedoesfood. This is also available as a highlight to watch me do it.
Ingredients:
(Makes 6 sandwiches)
1 loaf Japanese milk bread OR brioche, cut into sandwich slices
½ an iceberg lettuce, shredded
Japanese curry roux:
45g butter
32g plain flour
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp garam masala
¼ tsp chili powder
Curry sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
A thumb sized knob of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 portion of curry roux
600ml chicken stock
1 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chicken Katsu:
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Salt & Pepper
150g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
200g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
FOR THE CURRY ROUX:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a medium-low heat.
When the butter is melted, add the flour and turn the heat down to low.
Constantly stirring, cook the flour and butter mixture for 12-15 minutes. This can easily burn so be careful.
When the mixture has darkened to a light brown colour, remove from the heat and add the spices.
Transfer to a small heatproof bowl and set aside whilst you make the curry.
FOR THE CURRY SAUCE:
In a medium sized saucepan, fry the onion, apple and carrot on a medium heat. For about 10-12 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, chili and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Pour in half of the chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Until the vegetables are very soft.
Transfer the vegetable mix, and the curry roux, into a blender, a food processor or whizz with a hand blender until smooth.
Add the curry mixture back into the saucepan, along with the remaining chicken stock, the soy sauce and the ketchup.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.
Bubble on a low heat until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Keep warm whilst you prepare the katsu chicken.
FOR THE CHICKEN KATSU:
Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper.
Prepare 3 shallow bowls. Add the plain flour to one, the egg to the second, and the panko breadcrumbs to the third.
Use one hand for dry ingredients (plain flour and katsu) and use your other hand to handle the chicken when wet (egg).
Working one thigh at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, drop the chicken in the egg mix and coat well (using one hand for dry, one for wet, this stops you getting sticky and covered in breadcrumbs!).
Finally, drop the chicken into the panko. Making sure it’s thoroughly and evenly coated in the breadcrumbs.
Place on a baking tray whist you dredge the other chicken thighs.
Over a medium heat, heat vegetable oil, about 3ml in depth, in a large heavy based frying pan or saucepan. Heat till the oil to about 175c if you have a thermometer.
Working in batches, lay the chicken into the oil and cook for 7 minutes on each side. Until golden brown and cooked through. If you have a meat thermometer the internal temperature should be 75c.
Lay the cooked chicken onto kitchen roll to drain some of the grease. Fry chicken in batches until it’s all cooked through.
You can keep the cooked chicken in a very low oven to keep warm whilst you cook other batches.
TO ASSEMBLE:
In a large frying pan, heat the curry sauce. Lay one slice of milk bread into the hot sauce and let soak up the liquid for 1 minute. It will puff up and increase in size as it soaks up the liquid.
Flip the slice and allow the other side to soak up the sauce for a further minute.
Using a slotted spoon, remove from the sauce and trim the edges so it’s the same size as the non soaked slices of bread.
Take two slices of milk bread and spread with curry sauce. Lay down the fried chicken katsu onto one of the slices, lay down the soaked milk bread slice on top of the chicken, then top with shredded lettuce. Place the remaining milk bread slice on top to complete the sandwich.
Cut in half and enjoy!