00:00The Banzoite prefecture consumes way more chicken than anywhere else in the country,
00:03and this is their crown jewel.
00:05Toliten isn't regular tempura, it's marinated chicken dressed in a cloud-like crispy coating
00:10that shatters on contact. Let me walk you through every step to nailing this classic.
00:15For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website, just google chicken tempura,
00:20search you to find me.
00:21We'll start by preparing our flavorful marinade.
00:24In this bowl, I'm mixing together 2 teaspoons of soy sauce,
00:271 teaspoon of grey ginger, 1 teaspoon of grey garlic,
00:311 teaspoon of sake, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
00:36This isn't just about flavor, the salt in the soy sauce creates a brining effect that helps the
00:41chicken retain moisture during frying, and freshly greyed ginger contains natural enzymes that
00:47actually tenderize the meat by breaking down proteins.
00:50Now add my chicken pieces to the marinade and make sure each piece gets a nice even coating.
00:55For the best toriten, cut against the grain, that means across the muscle fibers,
01:01with a diagonal cut in motion. You also want to make sure all your chicken pieces are similar size.
01:17Cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface of the chicken and then rest in the fridge.
01:22Don't leave this marinating too long though, about 30 minutes is the sweet spot.
01:28Once the marinating time is almost up, let's create the perfect tempura butter.
01:33First, I'm cracking an egg into this bowl and adding 50ml of chilled water.
01:38You should use chilled water straight from the refrigerator.
01:42I measured out my water at the beginning and kept in the fridge while the chicken was marinating.
01:47You could even add ice cubes to keep it extra cold throughout the process.
01:52So why does cold matter so much?
01:54Well, cold water slows down gluten formation.
01:56Gluten is great for bread, but terrible for tempura.
01:59Giving everything cold slows down this reaction, which is what gives toriten its light crispy texture.
02:06Now, I'm adding 4 tablespoons of cake flour and 3 tablespoons of potato starch.
02:13Instead of just dumping dry ingredients in, I'm sifting them directly into the wet mixture.
02:18This extra step makes a big difference in getting that airy crisp coating.
02:23When mixing, I use chopsticks, or you can use a fork and stir just until combined, leaving small lumps in
02:30the butter.
02:31Over mixing also develops gluten, which leads to a heavy, bready coating rather than the delicate crispiness we're after.
02:39And if you can't find potato starch, corn starch will work in a pinch.
02:42Though the original toriten from Toyokan restaurant actually used this blend of wheat flour and potato starch.
02:49Now it's time to fry.
02:50I'll preheat my oil to exactly 170 degrees Celsius, which is 340 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:56I'm using rice bran oil, which is my personal favourite.
03:00But any neutral flavoured oil with a high smoke point will work, like vegetable or quinola oil.
03:06With my oil at the perfect temperature, I'm gently dropping the chicken pieces into the batter,
03:12making sure they're fully coated.
03:14I'm careful not to overcrowd the pot, because that would lower the oil temperature too much.
03:19If the temperature drops, the chicken tempera will cook more slowly,
03:23and the batter could become saturated and oily.
03:27I'm frying these for about 4 minutes in total, turning halfway through.
03:31The end result should be fluffy and golden.
03:33And then, you'll know they're done when the bubbling sound changes from active bubbling
03:38to a quieter, crackling sound.
03:40And the batter turns the beautiful light golden colour that's just irresistible.
03:45Now, Parijen isn't just deep-fried chicken with tempura batter.
03:50It's actually more like a hybrid between tempura and karagep.
03:54This regional specialty comes from Oita Prefecture, where it was born back in the 1930s.
04:00And it makes perfect sense that it originated there.
04:04Oita is famous throughout Japan for its chicken consumption.
04:07The locals enjoy it as soul food, typically served with tangy, ponzu-like sauce,
04:13and garnished with kabosu citrus, another Oita speciality.
04:17Once they're done, I'm moving the toriten to a wire wrap instead of pep towels.
04:21This lets air circulate underneath so the bottom gets soggy.
04:25There's nothing worse than soggy tempura.
04:31The finishing touch is this tangy dipping sauce that perfectly balances the richness of the fried
04:37chicken.
04:37I'm mixing equal parts of kabosu juice, sushis, and rice vinegar in this small bowl.
04:43Kabosu is the more authentic option, but you can substitute with yuzu, lime, or lemon if it's not available.
04:50If you're looking for a really authentic Oita style experience, you can try adding a bit of
04:55karagep mustard to the sauce, but that's totally up to you.
05:00And there you have it, perfect toriten, Japanese chicken tempura with a light crispy coating
05:05and tender flavourful chicken inside.
05:08Want even more delicious recipes?
05:11Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
05:15Ok, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook,
05:19grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up
05:23on your screen.
05:25There we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now, and if you want
05:28to watch more
05:29similar videos, don't miss my chicken recipe playlist popping up on your screen now as well.
05:33Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye!
05:38I'll see you in the next one.
05:40Bye!
05:41Bye!
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