The first time I went to a high-end sushi restaurant, the chef told me, “Please dip this in the pickled shallot tartar sauce.” I tried it, and it was absolutely delicious! So, when I made chicken nanban at home, I decided to mix in some pickled shallots. The refreshing taste of the shallots paired perfectly with the tartar sauce and nanban vinegar, and I’ve been making it over and over again. Since deep-fried food with mayonnaise can be a bit too oily, I opted for grilled chicken instead. My husband loved it too, and together we ended up eating two whole cups of rice! Be careful not to overeat!
材料
| Chicken thighs | 600g (21 oz) |
| 【Tartar Sauce】 | |
| Egg | 4 |
| Mayonnaise (Kewpie) | to taste (I used about 3 tbsp.) |
| Pickled shallots (sweet pickled shallots) | 80g (2.8 oz) |
| Black pepper | to taste for garnish |
| 【Nanban Vinegar】 | |
| Soy sauce (Kikkoman) | 4 tbsp |
| Brown sugar (white sugar is fine too) | 4 tbsp |
| Vinegar (Mizkan) | 4 tbsp |
I’ve listed the brands I used, but feel free to use other brands as well.(Mizkan’s vinegar is a seasoned vinegar. I will update this article after confirming whether grain vinegar or rice vinegar can also be used without any issues!)
How to Make
1⃣ Boil 4 eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes to make boiled eggs. Meanwhile, finely chop the pickled shallots.
2⃣ Once the boiled eggs have cooled completely, place them in a bowl along with the chopped shallots and mayonnaise. Use a fork to mix and mash them together. Store in the refrigerator until the chicken and nanban vinegar are ready.
3⃣ Preheat the oven to 250-300°C (the higher the temperature, the crispier the result). Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
4⃣ Bake the chicken in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar in a pot and mix over low heat, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
5⃣ Once the chicken is done, drizzle it with nanban vinegar and tartar sauce, then sprinkle with black pepper. Serving it on a single plate allows the nanban vinegar to soak into the rice, making it extra delicious!
Before going to a high-end sushi restaurant for the first time, I was really nervous and researched a lot online. Unlike conveyor belt sushi, I learned that you don’t pour soy sauce on top, the chef makes sushi for you omakase-style, and you don’t know how much the bill will be until the end. Since I was feeling quite anxious, I prepared for the possibility of credit cards not being accepted by bringing 100,000 yen in cash. My wallet was stuffed! (lol)
I was also worried that the sushi chef might be strict or intimidating, but in the end, he was incredibly kind. At the beginning, he asked, “Are there any ingredients you can’t eat?” And when I started to feel full, he noticed and asked, “Are you starting to get full?” For my husband, he asked, “Can you still eat a bit more?” and served him extra sushi accordingly. The personalized service was wonderful. Watching the chef prepare each piece of sushi right in front of us at the counter was also a great experience.
If it looks delicious, feel free to share it on Twitter/X! And if you try making it, I’d be even happier if you tag me in your post!
