Apple Tonkatsu Chicken Marinade

31 October 2015

(Serves 4)

For a while now, every time I opened the refrigerator I’ve been staring at a bottle of tonkatsu sauce sitting in the door. The only recipe I ever use it for is to make Yakisoba. My husband would occasionally put it on some eggs but that would be the extent of it. I feel like I should be using this sauce in more recipes. My husband really enjoys the flavor and I can only make Yakisoba so often. For those of you not familiar, tonkatsu sauce is like worchestire sauce for Japanese people. It makes sense since that is from where tonkatsu sauce derived. There are many versions of this sauce but the one I use is the Bull Dog brand.

Being in the mood to roast some chicken thighs in the oven this week, I began to prepare a marinade. The gloomy days and rain throughout this week just screamed out for the oven to be turned on. Seeing what I had on hand, I went for a lighter marinade with the usage of some fruit and milder seasoning. This recipe is great if you don’t have a lot of time on hand. The ingredient list is fairly short and clean up is brief. You just have to throw everything into a food processor and you’re done with the marinade!

Once you pop the chicken in your oven, the house will fill with a light sweet aroma from the marinade. When done, the chicken itself is extremely moist and tender and the flavor subtle. This will serve great with a side of rice and roasted or boiled vegetables. I must say, this has become a favorite recipe for me to add to my repertoire. Simple and easy to make, minimal clean up and delicious to eat, it’s perfect for those days when there is just not enough time to be in the kitchen. You can just marinade the chicken on the weekend and then throw it in the oven during the week for a delectable home-cooked meal with minimal effort.

1/2 lb apple (1), peeled, cored, cut into chunks	1. Mince in food processor.
1/2 oz scallion, white only
1 tbsp garlic, peeled
1 tsp black pepper	2. Add the rest of the marinade seasoning into the processor and combine.
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsps honey
1 tsp worchestire sauce
1/3 cup tonkatsu sauce
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup sake
2 lbs chicken thighs, or your choice of cut (about 6 pieces)	3. Pour the marinade into a gallon size ziplock bag and add the chicken in one piece at a time, massaging the marinade into each piece.
1/2 oz scallion, green only	4. Cut scallion into 2 inch pieces and add to the marinating chicken. 5. Mix the scallion into the chicken and marinade well by removing as much air out of the bag as possible, sealing it and massage it from the outside. 6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 72 hours. 7. Bake at 375F for about 50 minutes in a foil lined casserole pan or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F. 8. Remove from oven, let sit for about 5 minutes prior to serving.