Chef Russ’s katsu curry
From Pokesdown Community Primary School
45 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
Chef Russ won The One Show's Rising Star award at the 2024 Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards. Heading up the catering team at Pokesdown Community Primary School in Bournemouth, Chef Russ says, 'Getting the kids to sit down for lunch together is a beautiful thing to do – it's such an important part of the day.' Keep up the great work, Chef Russ!
Ingredients
For the chicken
75g plain flour
optional spices: 2 teaspoons each garlic granules, paprika, turmeric
2 free-range eggs
100g panko breadcrumbs
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (or 350g tofu soaked in 2 tablespoons of low-salt soy sauce overnight before breadcrumbing)
oil
For the katsu sauce
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
4cm piece of ginger
3 medium carrots
3 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
Method
Chef Russ won The One Show's Rising Star award at the 2024 Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards. Heading up the catering team at Pokesdown Community Primary School in Bournemouth, Chef Russ says, 'Getting the kids to sit down for lunch together is a beautiful thing to do – it's such an important part of the day.' Keep up the great work, Chef Russ!
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with a good pinch of sea salt and the spices, if using. Then in a second bowl, beat the eggs, and put the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
Toss the chicken thighs or tofu in the seasoned flour, making sure they’re covered, then dip into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a lined baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes until golden and crispy (you could also do this in an air fryer).
To make the sauce, peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger, and coarsely grate the carrot. Add it all to a frying pan with the curry powder and a drizzle of oil, and gently fry over a medium heat until they’ve softened completely, about 15 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, and bring up to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Then take it off the heat and blitz to a smooth sauce. Serve the crispy chicken with brown or white rice or a crunchy salad, some sauce and pickled veg.
