Recipe: Make Rooftop L.O.A.’s Chicken Karaage
We’ve enjoyed several meals at Rooftop L.O.A. and the Pool Club. My friends and I love the Chicken Karaage with its delicious curry rice. Would love to see if we could make this dish at home. — Maya Fisher, Atlanta
Slater Hospitality director Joseph Trevino provided this recipe and wrote that it was a collaborative effort by the Rooftop L.O.A. chef team. “We wanted a fun way to re-envision fried rice.”
It’s a variation on traditional karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, and includes two techniques that result in chicken that is moist and ultra crispy: brining in buttermilk and then twice-frying the chicken.
The restaurant makes the fried rice portion with coleslaw mix, a combination of cabbage, carrots and red cabbage. We substituted shredded cabbage when we tested.
The restaurant garnishes the dish with pea tendrils and watermelon radish matchsticks. The chefs suggest sunflower or radish sprouts could be substituted for the pea tendrils. Both are available at natural food stores and Whole Foods Market. Watermelon radishes are available in winter and into spring at local farmers markets and Whole Foods Market. Substitute red radishes if desired. Meyer lemons, with a sweeter, more floral zest than regular lemons, are available at many grocery stores between December and May.
Rooftop L.O.A.’s Chicken Karaage
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, divided
- 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying and sauteing
- 1 cup coleslaw mix
- Curry Rice (see recipe)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Yuzu Wasabi Aioli (see recipe)
- 1/4 cup Crispy Artichoke Heart Chips (see recipe), for garnish
- Watermelon radish, cut into matchstick pieces, pea tendrils, zest of 1 Meyer lemon, for garnish
- Marinate chicken: In a medium bowl, combine chicken thigh cubes, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Cover and allow to sit on the counter 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika.
- When ready to cook, place the marinated chicken in a colander in the sink to drain all the liquid. Drain 5 minutes, shaking colander and tossing chicken cubes occasionally to be sure as much liquid as possible has drained.
- Pour 3 inches of oil into a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 300 degrees. Have a paper towel-lined baking sheet next to the cooktop.
- Move the drained chicken to the flour mixture. Use your hands to toss chicken and cover all sides with flour. Use tongs to move chicken pieces to hot oil. Discard flour mixture.
- Cook chicken cubes 6 minutes. Use tongs to transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet. Raise heat under Dutch oven to increase temperature of oil to 350 degrees. Use tongs to return chicken to hot oil and fry 2 additional minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer chicken cubes to prepared baking sheet again to drain.
- While chicken is frying, pour 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet and heat on medium high. After 1 minute, add coleslaw mix and cook 90 seconds or until vegetables wilt, stirring frequently. Add Curry Rice and soy sauce and stir to combine. Cook until rice is hot, about 2 minutes, then divide between two bowls. When fried chicken is ready, divide chicken between bowls and drizzle with Yuzu Wasabi Aioli. Garnish with Crispy Artichoke Heart Chips, radish, lemon zest and pea tendrils. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 1,039 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 43 grams protein, 80 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 61 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 167 milligrams cholesterol, 1,706 milligrams sodium.Curry Rice
Make this rice earlier in the day you plan to serve it, or the day before. Letting it dry out before using it in the karaage is important as it keeps the rice grains firm when they are heated. Using just-cooked rice will result in soggy fried rice.
- 3/4 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Wash rice: Put jasmine rice in a large bowl and add water to cover. Swish rice to release surface starch, then drain water. Repeat until water is clear.
- In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add washed rice and stir to coat rice with oil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in ginger, garlic powder, turmeric, garam masala, Madras curry powder, salt and bay leaf. Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat so liquid is simmering. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover saucepan and let rice steam 10 minutes. Move rice to an unoiled baking sheet and allow to cool completely. Discard bay leaf. Once rice is cooled, use the same day or transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. Rice can be used directly from the refrigerator for the karaage.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4 cup: 97 calories (percent of calories from fat, 20), 2 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), 1 milligram cholesterol, 193 milligrams sodium.Yuzu Wasabi Aioli
Yuzu juice and wasabi are available in stores that carry Asian groceries. Often you will find Thai basil there as well. If you are looking for a substitute for yuzu juice, try a mixture of lemon, lime and orange juices. Extra aioli can be used as a dip for raw vegetables.
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
1 teaspoon wasabi powder
3/4 teaspoon agave syrup
3/4 teaspoon chopped Thai basil
Zest of 1/4 lime
Morton’s kosher salt, to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yuzu juice, wasabi, agave syrup, Thai basil and lime zest. Add salt to taste. Put into a covered container and refrigerate until needed. May be made up to 3 days in advance.
Makes 1/2 cup.
Per tablespoon: 77 calories (percent of calories from fat, 94), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 8 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 95 milligrams sodium.
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yuzu juice
- 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
- 3/4 teaspoon agave syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon chopped Thai basil
- Zest of 1/4 lime
- Morton’s kosher salt, to taste
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yuzu juice, wasabi, agave syrup, Thai basil and lime zest. Add salt to taste. Put into a covered container and refrigerate until needed. May be made up to 3 days in advance.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 77 calories (percent of calories from fat, 94), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 8 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 95 milligrams sodium.Note: For nutritional calculations, the salt included is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
Crispy Artichoke Heart Chips
While these fried chips are part of Rooftop L.O.A.’s Chicken Karaage garnish, they are also a delicious snack on their own or as a cocktail nibble.
1 (14-ounce) can whole artichoke hearts
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
Drain artichoke hearts and arrange on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Discard liquid from can. Cut each heart into 3 or 4 slices, making sure to leave part of the base with each slice to hold the artichoke leaves together. Gently press slices to help drain any remaining liquid. Leave sliced artichoke hearts on paper towels until ready to fry.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and salt.
In a Dutch oven, heat 3 inches vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Line another baking sheet with paper towels and set next to cooktop.
Working in batches as needed, place artichoke heart slices in cornstarch mixture and use your hands to gently toss slices, coating them evenly with the cornstarch mixture. Using a slotted spoon, add slices to hot oil. Do not crowd oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer fried artichoke heart slices to second prepared baking sheet. Use hot to garnish Chicken Karaage.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Per 1/4 cup: 93 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 1 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 38 milligrams sodium.
- 1 (14-ounce) can whole artichoke hearts
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Drain artichoke hearts and arrange on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Discard liquid from can. Cut each heart into 3 or 4 slices, making sure to leave part of the base with each slice to hold the artichoke leaves together. Gently press slices to help drain any remaining liquid. Leave sliced artichoke hearts on paper towels until ready to fry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and salt.
- In a Dutch oven, heat 3 inches vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Line another baking sheet with paper towels and set next to cooktop.
- Working in batches as needed, place artichoke heart slices in cornstarch mixture and use your hands to gently toss slices, coating them evenly with the cornstarch mixture. Using a slotted spoon, add slices to hot oil. Do not crowd oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer fried artichoke heart slices to second prepared baking sheet. Use hot to garnish Chicken Karaage.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4 cup: 93 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 1 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 38 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Rooftop L.O.A., The Interlock, 1115 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta; 470-922-3700, rooftoploa.com.
