Japanese Fried Chicken

2 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 6 large chunks

½ cup / 60 grams all-purpose flour

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 cup / 120 grams panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons shichimi togarashi (japanese 7 x spice mix) – available online

Pinch coarse kosher salt

2 cups / 500 ml vegetable oil / for frying

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 ½ tablespoons red thai curry paste

1 ½ cups / 350 ml coconut milk

1 teaspoon fish sauce

½ teaspoon palm sugar / or white sugar

1 piece kaffir lime leaves (ideally fresh)

4 handful fresh baby spinach, washed and drained

1 tablespoon sesame oil

pinch coarse kosher salt

pinch fresh ground black pepper

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

pinch coarse kosher salt

pinch fresh ground black pepper

Shiitake Mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

pinch coarse kosher salt

pinch fresh ground black pepper

2 side bowls cooked jasmine rice / or any other rice of your preference

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit / 220° Celsius.

Heat up the vegetable oil in a medium size skillet on medium heat.

Add red curry paste, sizzle for a few seconds, and then pour in coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Add kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and a pinch of sugar, reduce and simmer for 3-4 minutes; and set aside

Tip – if you like it saltier, add more fish sauce; if you like it sweeter, add more sugar.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and try with paper towel.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Transfer the tomatoes to a baking sheet pan layered with aluminum foil

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the skin starts to blister of the tomatoes, remove from oven and set aside.

Wash the mushrooms and then dry with paper towel.

Leave mushrooms whole, just trim the stems a little.

In a bowl combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Transfer the mushrooms to a baking sheet pan layered with aluminum foil

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, turning mushrooms once or twice.

Once done, remove from oven and set aside

Season the chicken breast pieces with kosher salt.

Prepare three dishes: one with the flour, one with the eggs, one with the panko breadcrumbs combined with the shichimi togarashi

One by one, dredge each chicken piece in the flour, then the egg wash, then the panko-spice mix, then set aside.

In a large skillet, heat about a 1/4 inch (1 cm) of vegetable oil on medium heat.

Fry the chicken pieces in batches for about 3 minutes per side or until they are cooked through and crisp on the outside. (The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.)

Transfer the finished chicken pieces on paper towels to drain.

Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot.

Add the sesame oil and the spinach and toss quickly with oil to coat.

When spinach is just wilted, about 2 minutes, remove from heat and season with salt and fresh pepper.

Discard any access liquid of the spinach and set aside.

Arrange the spinach onto the serving plate.

Place the fried chicken onto the spinach.

Spoon red curry sauce around the spinach.

Arrange the blistered tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms onto the plate

Garnish with some fried sage / or fried basil. Enjoy

Serve with jasmine rice on the side.