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Chicken Nanban is my favorite food!
Don't worry, it's super easy to make. I'll tell you how I make it.
I made the one pictured here. :)
For my vegetarian friends, a Tofu version is posted at the bottom, but I haven't tried it!
The Chicken
Prepare some canola oil in a small pot and bring it to about 180 degrees. You can use any oil, but I haven't experimented with how it might change the taste.
Cut boneless chicken into strips or fillets, into the size pictured on this page... or really any size of your liking. Just make sure its not too thick.
For a softer texture: knead/puncture/squish the chicken with your fingers or beat it with your fist to break down the meat a little bit.
Crack an egg into a bowl, and beat it.
Bread the chicken with all-purpose flour. (Spread the flower on a cutting board and place the chicken on top of it.)
The flowers "strength" isn't too important, if in doubt go for medium or strong. Flower for cake or pizza works fine. Tempura flower is too light and doesn't work.
Dip the breaded-chicken into the bowl with the egg.
Dip the egg covered chicken into the pot with canola oil.
Deep-fry it for a few minutes, until a deep golden brown.
The Sauces
With the two sauces... I cheat! I suggest you do the same.
I use "Miyazaki Tartar Sauce" from the supermarket.
You can also use any tartar sauce you like.
For my taste, it's best if it's a little runny (like in the picture above). But work with what you have.For the Nanban sauce, I instead use "Yakitori Sauce" from the supermarket because it's basically the same thing!
You should be able to find this in the Asian section of your local supermarket, or on Amazon. It is very easy to make however.
If you'd prefer to make the sauces yourself, you can follow the instructions here:
Nanban Tartar Sauce (0:36 to 1:44) (notice how it's a little runny)
Warning: Japanese mayonnaise is different from western mayonnaise. Try to find Kewpie brand mayonnaise. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-kewpie
Teriyaki Sauce (notice how it's not so watery)
Finally, pour the tartar sauce over the fried chicken, and the yakitori sauce over the tartar sauce!
Some styles use a more runny nanban soy sauce and dip the chicken into that, like this, but I prefer my version. Both styles are commonly found in Japan 😀
History and Origin
Chicken Nanban is said to have originated from Miyazaki Prefecture.
There were two restaurants that specialized in the dish! And there is a debate as to which one is the correct recipe.
Nao-chans chicken nanban is served without tartar sauce, and Ogura-sans chicken nanban is! Obviously I prefer the Ogura-style.
You can read more about it here:
It's also possible to make this using tofu! I haven't made it yet, but a recipe can be found here (in Japanese).
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