I still recall trying my first bowl of katsu don back during high school days and it was love at first bite. A golden fried, crumbed pork or chicken fillet, paired with a fluffy mound of egg on rice, what’s not to love? Years on, and several chicken katsu bowls later, I finally tried my hand at making it ‘from scratch’ at home during lockdown 2.0 back in 2020 (just over a year ago to the day!). Verdict? It was surprisingly easy to whip up and I’m excited by the doors this ‘gateway’ recipe opens up… chicken parma, katsu sando, curry katsu don to name a few… Imma coming for you all next! Oh, and there’s no shallow frying involved. The most exciting thing about that is the absence of messy oil splutters that need tending to post cooking.. but the oven baking approach also makes for a relatively healthier option. Of course, feel free to whip out the frying pan if that’s more your jam!

OVEN BAKED CHICKEN KATSU DON

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup panko crumbs

• 2 chicken breasts (400-500g)

• salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup plain flour

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon water

• neutral cooking oil spray

• 1 brown onion, sliced

• 1/3 cup chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• cooked rice, egg, tonkatsu sauce and spring onion to serve

METHODS

1. Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil. Spray with cooking oil before baking.

2. In a non stick frying pan, toast the panko crumbs until golden in colour. Remove the crumbs from the pan and set aside to cool.

   • 1 cup panko crumbs

3. Carefully slice each chicken breast in half horizontally through the middle. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to thin out the chicken into an even thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

   • 2 pieces of chicken breast, salt and pepper

4. In a shallow bowl, lightly whisk the egg and water. Place the flour and cooled, toasted panko crumbs onto two separate plates or shallow bowls.

   • 1/4 cup plain flour, 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water

5. Coat each piece of chicken (4 pieces total) in flour, dusting or shaking off the excess before coating in the egg mixture, followed by the panko crumbs before transferring to the lined baking tray. Spray the top layers with cooking oil.

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top layer of each piece is golden. Turn over the pieces and repeat with the other side, checking that the chicken has cooked through before removing from the oven.

7. While the chicken is baking, prepare the onions. Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and browned. Add the chicken stock and soy sauce, allowing the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.

   • 1 brown onion, 1/3 cup chicken stock + 1 tablespoon soy sauce

8. Slice the chicken katsu. Serve with the onion mixture, rice, egg, tonkatsu sauce - start with the rice, top with egg, followed by the onion mixture, chicken katsu slices, a drizzle of tonkatsu sauce before garnishing with fresh spring onion.

Enjoy!