Sunday, March 12, 2006

Okay...Let's see.... Oh yes! Katsudon! Someone asked me about the history of Tonkatsu or Katsu and I admit that I am really clueless about it but few things I know about chicken katsu is that it is an originally recipe from Japan and I also grew up in Japanese community with relatives on my sensei mom's side. My great grandma-san Matsu cooked varietty of tonkatsu or katsu foods then she made many sides like miso soup, orroke (croquette) teishoku, tofu with fish flakes, pickled eggplants, umi seeds, etc.... I remembered such a wonderful aroma of tonkatsu that came from her kitchen and she always shared her childhood stories with me and my brother. Talking about her, I miss her more.

A katsudon is a popular Japanese food and it is a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, egg, and condiments. Variations include sauce katsudon (with Worcestershire sauce), demi katsudon (with demi-glace and often green peas, a specialty of Okayama), shio katsudon (with salt, another Okayama variety), shōyu-dare katsudon (with soy sauce, Niigata style), and miso katsudon (a favorite in Nagoya). Beef and chicken can substitute for the pork.

The dish takes its name from the Japanese words tonkatsu (for pork cutlet) and donburi (for rice bowl dish).

It has become a modern ritual tradition for Japanese students to eat katsudon the night before taking a major test or school entrance exam. This is because 'katsu' sounds like the word for victory or winning.

Katsudon is a stereotypical food offered by a detective to a detainee who is being questioned for a case. ( my uncle said so)

Here is the pic of Chicken Katsu that I cooked for my children on a rainy day:



Chicken Katsu Recipe: Quick and Easy

2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
garlic salt to season
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko flakes ( flour meal for breading)

Katsu sauce:

1/3 cup catsup
1/4 cup shoyu
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Worceshire sauce
pinch of ground red pepper

Combine all katsu sauce ingredients; mix well. Set side.

Season chicken generously with garlic salt and let stand 15 to 30 minutes. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet. Dredge chicken in flour, dip in eggs and coat with panko in that order. Fry chicken until golden brown on both sides: drain on paper towels. Cut into 1-inch slices. Serve with katsu sauce.

Note: This is so-o-o-o good! The chicken is tender inside, light and crispy on the outside. Children's favorite!