Mother's Day Brunch: Air Fryer Chicken Kara-age with Mochi Waffles + Yuzu Maple Syrup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free)

I have so many fond memories of when my mom and I would share chicken kara-age; it was usually when we’d be out running errands together all day or shopping at our local Japanese store. I’d also occasionally steal a piece or two from her bento box when we had family dinners at our local Japanese restaurant.

Let me tell ya, my mom is a fried chicken fanatic, and her love for it runs almost as deep as her love for Japanese food. If you didn’t know already, chicken kara-age is simply Japanese Fried Chicken, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of her favorite dishes. We both don’t get to enjoy chicken kara-age much anymore—-her because of her diabetes and me because of my gluten free diet. So when I was brainstorming Mother’s Day Brunch ideas, and flipped through Sonoko Sakai’s amazing new cookbook, I stumbled upon her beautiful variation of fried chicken and waffles. She had this ingenious idea to put plain maru (circular) mochi into a waffle maker. I instantly knew I wanted to do my own adaptation of her recipe to fit mine and my mother’s needs.

My mom and brother LOVED this brunch and it was fairly simple to do! The marinating process is done the night before (I actually like to marinate my chicken for 2 days and HIGHLY recommend it), and then all you have to do is just toss the chicken in some potato or tapioca starch and throw it in the air fryer! We served the chicken and waffles with kimchi and simmered kabocha squash and I left shichimi, furikake, anko (red bean paste), La-Yu Chili Oil, and the Yuzu Maple Syrup on the table for us to garnish with. Feel free to add your own garnishes, but holy moly the warm yuzu maple syrup was BOMB! Also, if you can’t get your hands on maru mochi, regular waffles or your own recipe for mochi waffles will work too! I know Trader Joe’s just came out with an Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix, so go ahead and give that a try. If you do, I’d love to know how they turn out!

Love Always,

Nat

Air Fryer Chicken Kara-age with Mochi Waffles + Yuzu Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Kara-Age:

• 1 lb (about 4) boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1 tbsp sake (sherry will work or you can just omit)

• 1-inch grated ginger

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup potato or tapioca starch

For the Mochi Waffles:

• 1 pack of Maru Mochi

• 1 small round waffle maker

• Whatever toppings you like

For the Yuzu Maple Syrup:

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1 tbsp melted

• 1-2 tsp yuzu juice (depending on how strong of a flavor you want)

Directions

For the Chicken Kara-Age:

1. Cut each chicken thigh into large bite size pieces (about 4-6 pieces)

2. Mix together the marinade: coconut aminos, mirin, sake, and grated ginger, and salt.

3. Marinate the chicken pieces in a shallow container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours. My mom and i are big fans of a 48-hour marinade for kara-age.

4. When the chicken is ready, add the potato or tapioca starch into a shallow bowl and lightly dredge each piece of chicken in the starch. then place on an empty plate or baking sheet

5. Pre-heat your air fryer to 375°.

6. When ready, spray the bottom of the air fryer tray and place the chicken down neatly so that the pieces don’t touch.

7. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway thru. The chicken is done when it’s crispy and golden on the outside.

8. Repeat numbers 6 and 7 until all of the chicken is cooked!

For the Yuzu Maple Syrup:

1. Lightly heat the maple syrup and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat for 3-5 minutes

2. Pour into whatever serving vessel you prefer

3. Add yuzu juice and serve!

For the Mochi Waffles:

1. Preheat waffle maker, set your oven to warm, and prepare a serving dish line with parchment or wax paper

2. Place 1 piece of maru mochi in the center of the waffle maker and let the lid rest on top of the mochi (Yes it will be hard, so place careful and do your best to keep the mochi centered when you drop the lid down)

3. After 3-5 minutes, you should be able to press down on the waffle maker until it closes. You may have to keep the wafflemaker pressed down for the remainder of the cooking time.

4. Cook the mochi in the closed waffle maker for 1-2 minutes, or until the mochi is crispy and peels off easily.

5. Place waffle in the warm oven to keep it chewy and repeat steps 1-4 until you have the desired amount of waffles.

6. Once all the waffles are cooked, you should be able to slide the waffles off the parchment paper for serving (or keep if you’d like!) If they get a little hard, just pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.