Paleo Chicken Katsu
Paleo Chicken Katsu with thin shredded cabbage noodles in light Asian sesame ginger dressing. Paleo and Whole30 friendly Japanese-inspired chicken cutlets
Paleo Chicken Katsu with thin shredded cabbage noodles in light Asian sesame ginger dressing. Paleo and Whole30 friendly Japanese-inspired chicken cutlets
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lbs chicken thighs or breasts ((skinless/boneless))
- quarter to half of one whole green cabbage
- coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp arrowroot/sweet potato flour/powder
- 2 medium chicken eggs + 2-3 tbsp water*
- 6 tbsp shredded coconut ((unsweetened))
- â…“ cup almond flour ((alt. â¼ cup cassava flour))
- â¾ tbsp grated ginger
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tsp coconut aminos
- â¼ tsp garlic granules
- â¼ tsp onion granules
- Carbohydrate 0.0558000001132093 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.58 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0.3562464 g
- Serving Size 1 1 adult (99g)
- Sodium 0.351600000608652 mg
- Sugar 0.0558000001132093 g
- Trans Fat 0.0698664000000001 g
- Calories 24 calories
Step-by-step
- Cabbage: Slice one whole green cabbage in half then cut into 4 quarter wedges. Use a mandolin slicer to thinly slice them into thin/long shreds. Submerge the cabbage in ice cold water. Set aside in the fridge. Drain before serving.
- Chicken: If the breast is too thick, butterfly and pound it to an even thickness (about ¼ inch thick) with the bottom of a wide jar. Lightly season both sides with coarse sea salt + black pepper.
- Prepare 3 large shallow dishes: Season with a little bit salt in all 3 dishes - 1) arrowroot flour, 2) 2 whisked eggs with 2 -3 tbsp water, 3) shredded coconut and almond flour.
- To pan-fry: Heat 1 ½ tbsp ghee over medium-high heat. When hot, lower the heat to medium. Lightly coat chicken with arrowroot. Shake of the excess. Then dip into the egg* mixture and finally coat with shredded coconut and almond flour. Press and make sure the coconut & almond flour stick to the chicken breast well. Pan-fry over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown then lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for a few additional minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through. Flip the breasts often and watch it carefully to prevent from burning. Set aside over a cooling rack.
- Serve: Carefully slice the cutlets and serve immediate with finely shredded cabbage, sesame ginger dressing and cauliflower rice.*
Scaling Batch Sizes and Pan Thermodynamics
Working with limited surface area on a standard stovetop burner dictates that scaling this recipe beyond two cutlets requires sequential pan-frying rather than overcrowding the skillet. Crowding lowers the oil temperature immediately, which transforms a crisp pan-fry into a steaming process that ruins the adhesion of the arrowroot and almond flour coating. When multiplying the batch for larger groups, maintain a medium-high heat threshold using ghee, and always rest fried cutlets on a wire cooling rack rather than paper towels to preserve the bottom crust's structural integrity from trapped steam.Impact of Ingredient States on Moisture
Utilizing fresh grated ginger and whole green cabbage introduces variable moisture levels compared to dried or preserved alternatives, directly influencing how tightly the breading adheres to the meat. Submerging the shredded cabbage in ice-cold water forces crispness through cellular turgor pressure, but failing to thoroughly drain those strands before plating will pool excess liquid and compromise the sesame ginger dressing. Cooks must press and firmly adhere the shredded coconut and almond flour blend onto each egg-dipped cutlet to compensate for surface wetness on the chicken thighs or breasts.
