Tori kawa ponzu (crispy chicken skin with ponzu)

Ingredients

• 450 g tori kawa (free-range yellow chicken skin)
• 3 tbsp Japanese cooking sake (ryorishu)
• 2 slices Fresh ginger
• 6 tbsp Yuzu ponzu sauce
• 150 g Fresh daikon radish
• 2 pieces Japanese scallion (negi)
• 1 tsp Shichimi togarashi
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer around 95 °C with the cooking sake and fresh ginger slices.
2. Submerge the chicken skins in the simmering water and poach for 3 minutes over medium-low heat (around 90 °C), until the skin turns uniformly pale and shrinks slightly.
3. Immediately transfer the skins to a large bowl of ice water for 3 minutes to stop the cooking completely and firm up their texture.
4. Drain the skins, lay them flat on a clean cutting board, and gently scrape the underside with the blade of a knife to remove the thin layer of residual white fat.
5. Thoroughly pat each piece dry with paper towels to eliminate all moisture, then slice the skins into even strips about 1 cm wide.
6. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat (around 170 °C), arrange the strips in a single layer, add a pinch of salt, and press down with a spatula to ensure even contact.
7. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the skins crackle vigorously, render their fat, and turn an even golden brown with a completely crunchy texture under the spatula.
8. Transfer the strips to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels and let rest for 2 minutes to drain excess cooking oil while the crispiness sets.
9. Meanwhile, peel the fresh daikon radish and grate it finely, then squeeze the pulp very gently between your hands to remove excess liquid without drying it out completely.
10. Thinly slice the scallions on a bias.
11. Arrange the warm, crispy skin strips in small bowls, top with a mound of grated daikon radish and sliced scallions, drizzle with chilled yuzu ponzu sauce, and dust with a pinch of shichimi togarashi just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

162.6 kcal

Protein

27.79 g

Carbohydrate

3.57 g

Fat

2.43 g

Fibre

2.43 g

Calcium

4.91 mg

Iron

0.13 mg

Magnesium

6.19 mg