Chicken teriyaki is a quintessential menu item in a lot of Japanese restaurants. The name itself indicates that the chicken is “teri” or having a slight sheen and “yaki”, grilled; however, the word teriyaki has evolved to become what many understand as the luscious umami glaze that can be used as a sauce for a variety of food. For this recipe, I adapted its less traditional meaning and drew inspiration from this beloved grilled chicken dish transforming it into a hearty sandwich.
It is important for each component of a sandwich to achieve perfect harmony when put together. I made certain that the elements stay coherent with one another to preserve the essence of the original chicken teriyaki. The glaze itself makes use of the actual ingredients present in the sauce, and the fried chicken is as tender as if it was grilled. Instead of using the traditional sandwich toppings such as mustard, tomatoes, and lettuce, I went for shredded cabbage as this is often given as a side salad in Japanese cuisine. Lastly, I decided to use the kamote brioche buns I ordered from Purebread to complete it, for their plushness grants a pleasant contrast to the crunchy aspects.
I specifically chose to support Purebread because it is a youth-owned socially active and responsible business that donates a kilo of rice for every dozen buns it sells to Hapag ng Biyaya’s community pantry in Mandaluyong city. This buy-and-donate system enables its customers to help the less fortunate whilst also enjoying home-baked buns. As the pandemic subsists, the struggle of people to access a sufficient amount of food becomes increasingly onerous. We are not only facing a health crisis, so finding opportunities to help others in any way possible is of paramount importance to be able to endure the other issues linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and recuperate from this heartbreaking time.
If you wish to learn more about and order from Purebread, you may visit its official social media accounts:
Facebook - Purebread
Instagram - @purebreadphph
Recipe
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
4 buns
2 cups shredded lettuce
½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
Fried Chicken
4 chicken breasts
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup potato flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 egg white
⅓ cup or 80 mL water
Teriyaki Glaze
¼ cup soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup water
1 ½ tablespoon honey
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 thumb ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
Slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)
Garnish
Sesame seeds, toasted
Green onions
Furikake
Procedure
Make the glaze by combining soy sauce, sesame oil, water, honey, and brown sugar in a small pan.
Once it simmers, add the ginger, garlic, and slurry into the sauce.
Let it cook for a few more minutes then transfer the glaze into another container.
Heat the oil until it has reached 350°F.
Prepare the batter by combining both types of flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, egg white, and water in a bowl.
Coat the chicken in the batter and fry it for 10 minutes.
While waiting for the chicken to cook, slice the buns in half and toast each side.
Once the chicken is golden, place it on a cooling rack or plate covered in tissue paper to let the extra oil drip.
Coat the fried chicken in the glaze.
To assemble the sandwich, place the chicken on top of the bottom bun, then sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions. Place the shredded lettuce on top and drizzle on Japanese mayonnaise. Finish with a dash of furikake.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
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