Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 2
This Ponzu Chicken recipe by Yuto Omura from Sudachi delivers ultra-crispy skin topped with a bright, tangy homemade ponzu sauce. Perfect for anyone who loves citrus or teriyaki-like flavour profiles!
Ingredients
- 500-600 g boneless chicken thigh boneless, skin-on
- 2 pinches salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 200 g pak choy or other stir-fry vegetables
- 150 g mushroom of your choice - shimeji or similar
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
Ponzu Chicken Sauce
- 90 ml ponzu sauce - ready to use or homemade
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake - drinking sake recommended
- 2 tsp light brown sugar or white sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp cold water to make slurry
- 1 tsp starch to make a slurry
Method
- Lay 500-600 g boneless chicken thigh out on a chopping board with the skin side facing down, and use kitchen scissors to make incisions in the thickest parts of the meat. These incisions will make flaps, pull them outwards to flatten the chicken. (You can also use the scissors to cut out any sinew or tendons.)
- Turn the chicken over and stretch the skin so it is wrapped over the edges.
- Cover the flesh side with plastic wrap and place the chicken in a container with the skin side facing up. Pat the surface of the skin dry with kitchen paper and store the chicken in the fridge uncovered for about 30 minutes to dry it out.
- Take a large pan and add 2 tbsp cooking oil while it's still cold. Swirl it around to coat the bottom. Place the chicken in the cold pan with the skin side down and sprinkle with 2 pinches salt and pepper.
- Place a piece of foil over the top.
- Take a pot that is small enough to fit in the frying pan, fill it half way up with water and place it on top of the foil. This will act as a weight and help the chicken skin become extra crispy.
Place the pan on the stove and set the heat to medium-low. Once you start to hear sizzling, set a timer for 10 minutes. - After 10 minutes have passed, remove the pot of water and foil. Baste the top of the chicken with oil from the pan for 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and fry on the other side for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and leave to rest until serving time.
- In the same pan, sauté the 200 g pak choy and 150 g mushroom of your choice in the chicken juices for a few minutes with a pinch of salt and pepper. (If you feel the pan is too oily, wipe it with kitchen paper first.) Once cooked, remove from the heat.
- Take a small saucepan and add the 90 ml ponzu sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tsp light brown sugar and 1 tsp honey. Mix well and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and mix 1 tbsp cold water and 1 tsp starch in a small bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the ponzu sauce and mix. Simmer until thickened slightly and then remove from the heat.
- Cut the chicken into strips and plate up with 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice and vegetables.
- Drizzle the ponzu sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and enjoy!
We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Yuto Omura from Sudachi Recipes to bring more authentic, approachable Japanese cooking to your kitchen. Be sure to explore Sudachi Recipes for even more inspiration and discover new ways to enjoy Japanese cuisine at home.
