So once in a while the call of golden panko-coated chicken gets too much for us here at Suburban Bee Company and out comes the deep fat fryer (ok, ok – but once in a blue moon isn’t so bad!).

The result is that most delicious thing – the Japanese originated Chicken Katsu Curry. Succulent chicken breast with a crispy breadcrumb coating and a sweet curry sauce has become a regular feature in many high streets. This dish, however, is also very easy to make at home, with all the added benefits of knowing exactly what has gone into the food we eat.

Oh yes, and of course the curry sauce features a spoonful or two of local honey to add that all important sweetness to the finish.

This recipe feeds four.

For the chicken

• 4 large skinless organic free-range chicken breasts
• 100g plain flour
• 2 organic free-range eggs, beaten
• 250g Panko breadcrumbs
• Salt & Pepper

For the curry sauce

• 1 large onion
• 3 large carrots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbl spoons of local honey
• 2 tbl spoons of dark soy sauce
• 500ml quality chicken stock
• 1 tbl spoon vegetable oil
• 1 tbl spoon plain flour
• 1/2 tbl spoon Garam Masala
• 2 tsp Curry Powder
• Salt & Pepper

To Prepare

Peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and carrots.

Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sweat until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add the carrot and continue to sweat for a minute or two.

Stir in the flour, garam masala and curry powder, making sure to coat the vegetables, trying to avoid any lumps of flour forming. Cook the spices for a minute or so to bring out the flavours.

Add the chicken stock carefully, stirring to incorporate the spices and vegetables. Mix in the honey and soy sauce. Allow the sauce to come to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pop a lid on the pan and leave it to continue to soften the carrots and develop flavour while you prepare the chicken.

Following the manufacture’s instructions, set the deep fat fryer for 160° Celsius. You can shallow fry the chicken or deep fry in a wok or similar but the deep fat fryer is certainly the easiest and safest way to maintain the correct cooking temperature.

To coat the chicken, set up 3 shallow bowls; one with flour seasoned with salt and pepper; one with beaten egg and the third with panko breadcrumbs.

Take a chicken breast and lightly coat it by dipping both sides in the flour, giving it a gentle tap to shake off any excess. Now dip it into the egg mixture, again coating all sides. Finally press it into the panko breadcrumbs. For extra crunch, you can re-dip in egg and panko.

Gently lower the coated chicken breast into the fryer being careful not to splash the hot fat. Cook for 10 minutes until golden and crispy on the outside but still succulent on the inside.

Repeat for the remaining chicken breasts. You may not be able to cook all at the same time – our fryer can only comfortably accommodate two at a time. Keep the cooked breasts warm, on kitchen towel to soak up any spare oil, in a moderate oven until ready to serve.

To Serve

We like to serve with sushi rice – it provides a comforting semi-sticky lump of starch which is just perfect for mopping up the curry sauce.

Using a blender – a hand held is perfect for this – blend the carrots and onions in the now thickened curry sauce to a smoother texture. How smooth to blend is up to you. We like a little texture left.

Slice the chicken breast in 2cm think slices – or, serve whole like we do.

To plate, drop a portion of rice on the plate, spoon sauce to the side and place the chicken breast on top of the sauce. Great to serve with a little wasabi and pickled ginger or radish.

Enjoy!