Crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy tender meat on the inside, this delicious Gluten
Free Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) is for everyone, including ones with gluten intolerant.

Gluten Free Karaage

INGREDIENTS

• 1.10 lb boneless skin-on chicken thighs (1.10 lb = 500 g)
• kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
• 1 Tbsp rice flour
• 2 ½ cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)

For Marinade

• 1 inch ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp sake
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

For garnish

• Lemon wedges
• Parsley (optional)
• Lettuce (optional - I used butter lettuce)
• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional - for spicy kick)
• Japanese mayonnaise (optional - for dipping)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.
   
2. Peel and grate ginger.  Crush (or mince) garlic. In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the marinade.
3. Cut each skin-on chicken thigh into 5 to 6 pieces, about 1 ½ inch pieces.
4. Lightly season the chicken with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Add the chicken in the marinade. Coat and rub the chicken with marinade using your hands/tongs. Set aside for 30 to 60 minutes.
6. In a medium bowl, combine potato starch and rice flour and whisk well.
7. In a pot, heat the oil to 340 ºF (170 ºC). I use a smaller 1 ½ QT pot, so that oil is deep enough and I don't have to use much oil. Use a thermometer or wooden chopsticks to see if the oil is ready (See How to Deep Fry Foods).
8. When the oil is hot, drain the chicken well from the marinade and coat each piece with the flour mixture.
9. Deep fry for 90 seconds, or until the chicken is light golden color. Work with a few pieces at a time, so the oil temperature won’t drop quickly. I worked with 3 to 4 pieces at a time.
10. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Let the chicken cook with remaining heat while you work on the rest of chicken.
11. Once the chicken is all deep fried for the first round, use a fine mesh sieve to pick up crumbs to keep the oil clean.  If you don't do this step, the crumbs get darker and then the oil gets darker.
12. Increase the heat and bring the oil to 350 ºF (180 ºC). Deep fry the chicken for the second time for 45 seconds or until crispy and golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
13. Serve the chicken immediately with lemon wedges, parsley, lettuce, and shichimi togarashi. If you like, squeeze the lemon before you eat and sprinkle shichimi togarashi for spice.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/gluten-free-karaage/