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Sweet and Sour Chicken (Ootoya Tori Kurozu-An)

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Ootoya Tori Kurozu-An)

Make Sweet and Sour Chicken (Ootoya Tori Kurozu-An) with crispy chicken and a glossy black vinegar glaze for a simple, impressive dinner.

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Yield2

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Marinate and Trim the Chicken

Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and place them in a shallow glass bowl. Grate fresh ginger until you have about 1 teaspoon including its juice, grate one clove of garlic, then stir the ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sake together into the bowl. Toss the chicken so every piece is coated in the glossy marinade, cover, and chill for about 10 minutes while you move on to the vegetables.

Step 2: Combine the Black Vinegar Sauce

In a small clear mixing jar or ceramic prep bowl combine 4 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Japanese black vinegar (kurozu), 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon sake and 2 teaspoons potato starch. Whisk until the sugar and starch are fully dissolved and the mixture looks uniform and slightly viscous; set this glossy, amber-brown sauce aside ready to be heated and thickened later.

Step 3: Peel and Cut Potatoes and Carrots

Peel three potatoes and cut them in half (or into large chunky pieces), and peel half a carrot and cut it using the rangiri technique so each piece has irregular angled facets — this creates more surface area, speeds cooking, and looks pretty when fried. Rinse and set the pieces aside briefly in a colander to drain.

Step 4: Parboil Potatoes and Carrots

Place the potatoes and rangiri carrots into boiling water and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender but holding shape. Drain thoroughly and transfer the warm pieces to a wire rack so they dry and cool slightly; this step ensures they won’t be undercooked or soggy after deep-frying.

Step 5: Slice Lotus Root, Eggplant, Onion, and Pepper

Peel about 3 inches of lotus root and slice into thin 3-mm rounds so the characteristic holes remain decorative and crisp. Take one Japanese/Chinese eggplant, peel in alternating stripes and cut into ½-inch slices. Cut half an onion into wedges and halve those crosswise. Cut half a green pepper into wedges and halve them crosswise as well. Lay each vegetable on small ceramic plates or bowls to keep them organized and dry them with paper towels.

Step 6: Dry and Prepare for Frying

Using paper towels, pat every vegetable piece completely dry and transfer the prepared vegetables and the parboiled potatoes and carrots to a wire rack. Place ½ cup potato starch (or cornstarch) into a shallow bowl for the chicken, and keep 3 cups neutral oil in a clear measuring jug nearby for deep-frying. Drying and staging everything here keeps splatter minimal and the coating crisp.

Step 7: Deep-Fry the Vegetables and Chicken

Heat oil in a deep pot (or use a fryer) to 340ºF (170ºC). Working in batches, deep-fry the vegetables and the parboiled potatoes and carrots until tender and lightly golden; drain on a wire rack so they stay crisp. Then dredge the marinated chicken pieces in the potato starch so each bite is evenly coated and deep-fry at the same temperature about 5 minutes until uniformly golden and crisp. Drain the chicken on the rack as well so the surface stays dry and crunchy.

Step 8: Toss with Sauce and Finish

Reheat a clean, wide shallow wok or the matte serving bowl briefly off-camera; transfer the hot drained fried vegetables and the crispy chicken together, rewarming them evenly. Pour the prepared black vinegar sauce over the hot ingredients and toss quickly until the sauce has thickened into a glossy, clingy coating that dresses every piece — the lotus root stays crisp, the eggplant and potatoes shine, and the chicken becomes lacquered in a deep amber glaze.


Step 9: Plate and Serve

Transfer the glossy sweet-and-sour chicken and vegetables into the same matte shallow serving bowl used for tossing, arranging the lotus root slices and colorful vegetables on top for visual contrast; place a small rustic bowl of steaming white rice nearby if you like. The final presentation is warm, glossy, and textural — crispy golden chicken, shiny amber-black glaze, and bright vegetable accents — ready to serve immediately.

Notes