Ina’s umami chicken
I’ve been learning so many wonderful things about Japanese cooking, and one of my favorite seasonings is called Shio Koji. It’s a fermented rice-based sauce that is free of all top allergens and tastes amazing and complex. Think…Japanese rice wine sake or Korean soju, but non-alcoholic, a tad sweet, savory, packed with umami, and a kick of that signature East Asian fermented flavor.
We use it to create a paste to cover our chicken thighs and then fry them up on the pan. It’s that simple.
Buy Shio Koji on Amazon, on Hanamaru Japanese Mart, or at your local Asian grocery store.
Top 9-free umami chicken
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Shio Koji
3 TBS corn starch
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1.5-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chicken finger-size pieces (each thigh cut into 2-3 pieces)
Neutral oil for cooking
Directions:
In medium bowl, combine Shio Koji, corn starch and garlic.
Add chicken thighs, using hands to make sure thigh pieces are coated with the mixture. Marinating in the refrigerator is nice, but not necessary.
Heat 2 TBS oil on large nonstick pan with medium heat. When pan is hot, add chicken pieces, making sure not to overcrowd them. You may need to cook in batches.
When bottom side is brown (4-6 min), flip and cook until brown on the second side. Add oil as necessary.
Place browned chicken pieces on a plate and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
Serve with rice and vegetables.
