Chicken Katsu Cake

What You’ll Need:

• 4 small chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, let down in 2 tbsp water
• 1 heaped tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups uncooked sushi rice
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 150g plain flour
• 200g panko breadcrumbs
• 3 eggs, whisked

How You Make It:

1. Wash your rice 3/4 times in water, agitating the grains slightly to encourage some of the starch to be released. Drain each time and repeat until the water is considerably clearer. Drain completely then cover with cold water. Press your hand in flat to check the amount of water. You want the water to come just over your knuckles. Cover, bring to the boil then turn the heat down low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for a further 20 minutes. Uncover and leave to cool.
2. Butterfly your chicken breasts out, slice in half and bash a little to flatten further. Coat in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Repeat until you have 6 or so pieces. Shallow fry in hot oil until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through. Set aside.
3. For your sauce, fry the onion and garlic for 10 minutes in a good lug of olive oil until nicely translucent but not brown. Add your curry powder and stir to awaken. Gradually add your stock, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Chuck in the soy, worcestershire, honey, ketchup and bay leave. Turn down low and cook for 20 minutes. Add cornstarch, whisking constantly. Allow to thicken. Remove from heat.
4. Layer your cake. Line a springform cake tin with oiled greaseproof. Place down half of your cooked rice and press down to flatten. Lay in your katsu pieces in a neat layer. Cover in sauce. Go down with the rest of your rice. Mandolin your carrots thinly. Place in a spiral all over the top of the cake.
5. Remove from the springform-check it out!
6. Slice and enjoy!