Kata – Bara Recipe

Make the marinade

In a medium bowl whisk together lime juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, minced garlic, chili flakes, kosher salt and black pepper until sugar dissolves and mixture is uniform.

Marinate the chicken

Place chicken thighs in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour half of the marinade (reserve the other half) over the chicken, turning to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours. Remove chicken from fridge 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off.

Pat the marinated chicken thighs dry with paper towels, leaving a thin glaze from the marinade but removing excess liquid. Brush each thigh lightly with 1–2 teaspoons olive oil to encourage even browning.

Prepare the dry mix

In a wide shallow bowl combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, panko, baking powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir with a fork to blend and break up any panko clumps.

Bread the chicken

Place beaten eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Working one piece at a time, dredge each thigh in the dry mix, shake off excess, dip into the beaten egg, then press back into the dry mix to form a good coating. Set on a rack while you repeat with remaining pieces. Let coated thighs rest 10 minutes so coating adheres (this helps a crisp result).

Heat the oil

Pour neutral oil into a large skillet until it comes about 1/4 inch up the sides. Heat over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking (about 350°F/175°C if using a thermometer).

Fry the chicken

Carefully place coated thighs, skin-side down first, into the skillet without crowding. Fry 4–5 minutes on the first side until golden brown. Flip and fry another 4–5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, flipping every 2–3 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) and coating is deep golden and crisp, about 6–10 more minutes depending on thickness.

Rest and finish

Transfer cooked thighs to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and let rest 5 minutes. While still hot, brush lightly with a tablespoon of the reserved marinade (optional) to add a bright glaze, or squeeze lime over each piece. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

Serve 2–3 thighs per person (adjust based on size) with lime wedges on the side. Provide extra reserved marinade as a dipping sauce (bring to a simmer if reserved marinade was not boiled—note: if you reserved marinade that contacted raw chicken, bring it to a boil for at least 1 minute before serving).