KAKARIKO FRIED CUCCO (KFC)

Kakariko Village may be known for its carrots and pumpkins, but it is also known for its cuccos. These Hyrulean fowl can be found in many places across the kingdom, but the Sheikah have definitely become the experts in farming these birds. Cuccos have been farmed and raised in Hyrule for many ages, primarily for their eggs. Cuccos, though, were also raised to eat. There was a period of time in Hyrule's past where a village in the Faron region, Ordon Village, was the leader in cucco farming. In Ordon Village cuccos were raised for both their eggs and their meat. This dual purposing of the cuccos carried forth into the future ages. Even though the Sheikah now primarily farm cuccos for their eggs, they do also consume them, frying being one of the most common ways to eat the fowl.

This dish in an original creation. Cucco meat is seasoned and marinated, coated in a flour made from grinding down Tabantha wheat, and then fried. It is then served over Hylian rice. The flavor of the meat combined with the crispy coating makes each bite absolutely delightful.

Since we don't have cuccos, we will be using chicken for this preparation (boneless chicken thighs to be specific). Additionally, we will be dredging the chicken in potato starch rather than flour. This will add a crispier coating to the chicken once it is fried twice. You can use flour instead of potato starch if you do not have access to it, but you will lose a little of the crispiness in the coating. We will also be making a Japanese inspired mayonnaise dip to accompany the chicken.

Ingredients

4-5 boneless chicken thighs, each cut into three pieces

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sake

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ inch piece of ginger, grated or minced (about 1 tsp)

1 to 1 ½ cups potato starch

1 ½ to 2 cups of Japanese rice

¼ cup green onion, chopped (for garnish)

Salt and pepper

Vegetable Oil

Mayonnaise Dip:

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp hondashi granules

Prepare the rice according to the directions on the package.

Cut the boneless chicken thighs into roughly 4 pieces each (3 pieces if the thighs are smaller).

Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sake, garlic, and ginger together well in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for anywhere between 1 to 4 hours.

While the chicken marinates, you can make the dipping sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, mustard, sugar, and hondashi in a bowl and whisk well to fully combine.

When the chicken is finished marinating, add the potato starch to a bowl, along with a little salt and pepper. Stir the seasoning in and break up any clumps of potato starch. Shake off any excess marinade from each piece of chicken and dredge them in the potato starch. Gently, but thoroughly, shake off any excess potato starch from each piece of chicken.

Heat vegetable oil in an appropriate medium to large sized pot. Add enough oil for the chicken to cook fully submerged. You want to heat the oil to around 325°F. We are going to fry each piece of chicken two times. The double try helps to ensure a crispy breading. For the first fry, cook the chicken in batches without overcrowding the pot. Cool for about 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken breading turns a lightly golden color. Remove it from the oil to drain on a wire rack. Repeat the process with all off the chicken.

Now increase the heat to 350°F, and cook each piece of chicken again for an additional 2-3 minutes each or until done (internal temperature of 165 °F). Allow the chicken to drain on a wire rack once again.

To serve, add a portion of rice to a bowl, place three pieces of chicken on top of the rice, and garnish with green onion. Serve a portion of the mayonnaise dipping sauce in a small dish along with the chicken.