Food

Chicken katsu with hoisin glazed pineapple, sushi rice and coleslaw

Chicken Katsu with Hoisin Glazed Pineapple, Sushi Rice and Coleslaw Image by Carly Pildis

By Carly Pildis April 8, 2021

Let’s be clear, this isn’t striving to be authentic Hawaiian food. Hawaiian food and culture have rich histories that are worth learning about and eating. This is just me dreaming of getting to experience Hawaii and its food. I would encourage you to spend time reading about Hawaiian history and its food. In the meantime, this dish is filled with sweetness, vinegar, and crunch. I recommend cooking this in a specific order, First rice, then coleslaw, then chicken and lastly pineapple. Alternatively, you could cook it all ahead of time – just make sure if you make a head you reheat in the oven, no the microwave so it stays crispy. Shabbat Shalom!

Sushi Rice with Furikake

1 bag sushi rice
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Furikake to taste – I used about 3 tablespoons

Rinse sushi rice well in a colander, at least 3 minutes. Don’t skip this – it makes a big quality difference. Cook according to instructions – a rice cooker is worth using here to get the desired texture if you have one. Once the rice is cooked, whisk together mirin, sugar, and salt. Using a wooden spoon or a rice paddle, gently integrate into the rice. Lay rice into a flat Tupperware or large flat platter to cool. Once cool enough to handle, form into pretty spheres and season with furikake.

Coleslaw

3 tablespoons sugar
12-ounce bag shredded red cabbage or coleslaw mix
½ cup of mirin
3-5 tablespoons Japanese mayo( Depending on if you want something creamier or more vinegary)
1 tablespoon of salt

Mix everything together. Set aside. Let sit. Try not to it eat. Yum.

Chicken Katsu

1 8 ounce box panko crumbs
Toasted sesame oil
1-inch knob ginger, microplaned
4 tablespoons mayo (preferably Japanese, but Duke’s also works
3 eggs
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Vegetable oil
Approximately 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs ( A little more or a little less is okay, about 2 pounds)
Salt to taste
Japanese BBQ sauce to serve

Add about a quarter cup of sesame oil to the pan, enough to coat it about half an inch thick. Bring the oil to a smoking heat – test with a single panko crumb that it will sizzle. Add the panko and fry until lightly brown and toasted, stirring regularly to avoid burning. Season and set aside.

Whisk together soy sauce, eggs, ginger, and mayo. Add chicken thighs and let marinate for ten minutes. Preheat the oven to 425. Add a thick layer of oil, about half a cup, to two baking sheets. Coat the chicken in crumbs on both sides, patting down to ensure every last crumb sticks. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then slice to serve.

Hoisin Glazed Pineapple

1 bottle Hoisin sauce
Toasted sesame oil
1 small ripe pineapple, cut into thick slices

This is a good time to break out your cast iron skillet. Maybe make a cocktail too because you’re almost done, and you should start relaxing. Drizzle the pineapple with 2 tablespoons of hoisin per slice. Drizzle sesame oil into your cast iron skillet, about 3 tablespoons worth. Bring to high heat and then turn to low. Drop those pineapple slices in and cook for about 1 minute a side, until charred and glazed and lovely.

Set aside to cool

Shabbat Shalom. May your Shabbat grant you peace and a feeling of finally getting away.

For more about the creator of this recipe, click here.

Carly Pildis is an organizing and advocacy professional living in Washington, D.C.

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