Ginger fried chicken for a proper picnicSunday, August 16, 2009 I like to plan a proper picnic once every summer. I'm not talking about a quickie brown bag or bento box lunch eaten on a park bench, but a scrumptious feast packed in a pretty basket and leisurely enjoyed on a worn blanket in a secluded area. I bring out my mismatched Bakelite silverware and chopsticks, wicker paper plate holders, colorful enamelware cups, a blue designer blanket that I vowed to use indoors and out and a two-tiered vintage jubako (Japanese square two-tiered box used for celebratory foods). I'm still looking for the perfect picnic basket, but in the meantime, I recycle large squares of fabric wrapping the food containers in the style of the Japanese furoshiki that uses a cloth to wrap and transport small items. My love of picnics was inspired by an old black-and-white photo of my newlywed parents. They are sitting on a plaid blanket, and my father is leaning against the thick trunk of a tree as my mother assembles a plate from the food surrounding her: a metal cooler brimming with fruit, a container of cold chicken, another with some kind of noodle dish and another with salad. There's a small jelly jar holding flowers and an entire fruit pie. The meal is for two, but there appears to be enough for six. I imagined the cool breezes and the nap just waiting after lunch. My mother can't recall the recipe she used to make the chicken dish in the photograph, but she does remember how she and my father just pulled over to the side of the road to have their lunch and the next week suffered from itchy bug bites. Despite the forgotten recipe, I think fried chicken is as essential to a picnic as s'mores are to a campfire. One of my favorite recipes is an adaptation of cookbook author Elizabeth Andoh's Japanese ginger fried chicken. When chilled overnight, the marinated meat makes an excellent partner to picnic fare like Asian sesame noodles, traditional potato salad and even deviled eggs. Japanese Ginger Fried ChickenServes 4-5 This recipe by Elizabeth Andoh, the doyenne of Japanese cooking, is found in her cookbook "At Home With Japanese Cooking" (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1980). It results in a lovely, crisp chicken, especially if you heed the temperature of the cooking oil.
Instructions: In small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, sake, ginger and garlic. Marinate chicken pieces in the sauce for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. After the chicken pieces have marinated, lift one piece at a time from the marinade and into the seasoned flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken pieces on a plate. After dredging each piece, allow the coating to be absorbed until the color changes from white to light brown, about 5 minutes. In a deep skillet or wok, heat enough oil so the chicken pieces will be submerged to about 330°. The oil should be hot enough so that a pinch of dredging mixture will sizzle immediately on the surface of the oil without burning. Fry 4 chicken pieces at a time until the crust is lightly colored, about 1 minute. Drain the chicken on paper towels or a metal rack. Lower the cooking oil to 310° when a pinch of dredging flour sinks slightly when dropped in the oil before sizzling. Refry the chicken again in batches of 5 to 6 pieces for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pieces on paper towels and sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper and squeeze with lemon juice. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Per serving: 320 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat (2 g saturated), 113 mg cholesterol, 331 mg sodium, 0 fiber. The calories and other nutrients absorbed from marinades vary and are difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, marinating time and amount of surface area. Therefore, the marinade is not included in this analysis. Wine pairing: The soy and garlic marinade infuses the chicken with Asian flavors, while frying adds mouthfeel. Try a white with a body and richness like lightly oaked Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc. Linda Furiya is the author of "How to Cook a Dragon" (Seal Press, 2009). E-mail her at food@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page K - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle |
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