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AirFryday: Golden chicken thighs in a spiced Panko crumb

AirFryday: Golden chicken thighs in a spiced Panko crumb
Tony Jackman
By Tony Jackman
27 Sep 2024
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Citrus zest and a traditional Chinese spice mix add punchy flavour to the Japanese Panko crumbs that coat these juicy chicken thighs, and sesame seeds add extra crunch to the famously crunchy breadcrumbs.

This is a bit of an Asian cultural mix – a Japanese style of very fine breadcrumbs with China’s famous five-spice, one of the most common spice mixes in Chinese cuisine. White sesame seeds are added to the crumb too, along with finely grated lemon zest for a zing of extra taste.

The thighs fry quicker in an air fryer than they would in the oven, in a pan on the stovetop, or on the coals at the braai. They air fry (not that this is technically what happens in an air fryer) at 180°C for 18 minutes in all (in three tranches of 6 minutes each), before being completed at 205°C (or 200°C) for a final 5 minutes.

I used peanut oil to coat them, although coconut oil (which you will need to melt before coating) would also suit this recipe. The flavour of olive oil would be at odds with the Asian flavour profile, although a relatively flavourless oil such as canola would be fine.

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The most common ingredients of five-spice are star anise, cinnamon, clove, fennel seeds and Szechuan peppercorns, although the precise mix does vary from region to region in China, where five-spice is used widely across many provinces.

The advantage of the Panko brand and method is that the flakes, which are hard, remain separate, with no tendency to clump together once something is dipped into them before being fried.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

3 Tbsp Panko crumbs

1 Tbsp Chinese five-spice

2 tsp white sesame seeds

Lemon zest

3 Tbsp peanut oil

Method

Grate the zest. Mix the Panko crumbs with the five-spice, sesame seeds and zest in a container.

Pour the peanut oil into a small bowl.

Dip the thighs in peanut oil, then into the spiced breadcrumbs, making sure the thighs are well coated all over.

Preheat the air fryer to 180℃ for 5 minutes.

Place the thighs in, skin-side down, with a little space between them for air flow.

Cook for 6 minutes at 180℃.

Turn and cook for another 6 minutes at 180℃, skin-side up.

Cook for the next 6 minutes at 200℃, skin-side up (for the crumb to be nicely crisp).

Turn the temperature up to 205°C or 200°C if that’s your machine’s maximum heat strength.

Cook for 5 minutes, still skin side up.

Check for doneness by inserting a skewer to the bone and pressing. If juices run pink, give them another couple of minutes. But mine were cooked through after the above cooking times. I served them with pan-fried shiitake mushrooms and caramelised heirloom carrots. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a platter by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.

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