Chicken Katsu with Sesame Roasted Carrots and Ginger Rice

Photo from Hello Fresh

Chicken katsu is one of my favorites to order when we go out to teriyaki. The crispy chicken and the sweet/savory katsu sauce...mmmm. So good. I'm terrible at frying chicken so I rarely make it. But, I ordered it and thought I'd give it a try. 

First mistake, I didn't pound the chicken cutlets quite thin enough. Hindsight I should have just sliced them in half lengthwise. That would have been the perfect thinness. It didn't ruin the meal, I just like my chicken katsu pieces to be thin. 

The second mistake is this meal came with carrots that were supposed to be baked. I got them prepped and ready to go, then got distracted by the frying of the chicken I didn't 1) turn on the oven and 2) didn't put them in in time for the meal. So...now I have baked carrots for tomorrow salad I'm making. 

The rice I did differently too. I'm also terrible at cooking rice on the stove top. I blame the flat stove for it though. The heat is very hard to regulate for "low". So I sautéed the ginger and scallions then put them, and the rice in a rice cooker. Worked like a charm. I did have to add a little salt to it. 

Overall, a good meal. Turns out frying the chicken is easier when you have a good pan (I have hexclads) and you keep the heat med.

Chicken Katsu with Sesame Roasted Carrots and Ginger Rice

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 12 oz carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias in 1/2 in pieces
• 1 thumb ginger; peeled and grated
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1 T Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 T Sour Cream
• 10 oz chicken cutlets; pounded thin
• 1/2 c jasmine rice
• 1 c panko 
• 4 T Katsu sauce

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. 

Peel and mince or grate ginger. 

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until tender, 20-25 minutes. Once roasted, carefully toss with sesame seeds.

While carrots roast, heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in rice, 3⁄4 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, pat pork dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until pork is about 1⁄2-inch thick.

Place panko, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size zip-close bag.

Place sour cream in a medium bowl; add pork and turn to evenly coat. Add coated pork to bag with seasoned panko and seal to close. Shake until pork is evenly coated. TIP: You may need to move around pork chops in bag, pressing with your hands, to spread out panko and make it stick.

Heat a 1⁄4-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium- high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add coated pork (discard any remaining panko in bag). 

Cook until panko is golden brown and pork is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Place katsu sauce in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until warmed through, 30 seconds. 

Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter and season with salt and pepper. 

Divide rice, pork, and carrots between plates. Drizzle pork with katsu sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.