I didn’t expect this blog post series to be focussed on food so much, but hey, that’s sometimes the nature of the beast. Today, we are talking japanese curry, or Kare as it is known in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Years ago, I read a food review about the famous brown curry, and it had words to the effect of “this is even better than heroin, because if I had a kid, I wouldn’t want to do heroin together with them every day”. In short, it is delicious. Not only that, but it’s simple, cheap, and if you stuff it with potatoes and carrots (as you SHOULD), it is a great way to get your daily vegetables in.
Now, if you’re like me and you want to turn it up a notch, I would recommend the katsu. Traditionally pork, I like to use chicken thighs, dipped in a 50/50 mix of all purpose flour and cornstarch, along with any herbs or spices you like, then a egg/water mix (combine vigorously), and then into the panko crumbs to coat all sides. After that, it’s 6-8 minutes in vegetable oil, depending on thickness, at 350F. Pull onto paper towels, and boom, you have your katsu topper.
I haven’t fried many things in my life, partly out of lack of knowledge, partly because I am a normal person and the idea of dropping something in boiling oil has always been faintly terrifying. But having tried it, I’m a fan. Obviously I won’t be subscribing to the “if it ain’t fried, it ain’t food” argument anytime soon, but as a way of adding flavour and texture to a meal, I highly recommend it. As for the katsu curry, it has become a roster regular, and I even used the leftover chicken cutlet for a sandwich today.
I would have taken a photo, but it went down the hatch too quickly. Happy cooking, and let me know what your favourite comfort food is.
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