Chicken Nanban

Method

1. For the nanban sauce, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, mirin and MSG in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Once it's at a rapid boil and the sugar has completely dissolved, take it off the heat and set aside.
2. For the tartar sauce, bring a pot of water to the boil. Gently lower in the eggs and cook for 12 minutes, then peel and finely chop.
3. Finely dice the onion and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes to take the edge off. Drain and squeeze out the excess water with your hands or a piece of muslin, so the tartar sauce doesn't turn watery.
4. Finely chop the spring onion. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, onion and spring onion. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
5. Trim any excess fat or skin from the chicken, if you like. Gently pound it with the back of your knife to an even thickness, then make small cuts along the edges so it doesn't curl while frying. (You can also cut it into bite-sized pieces.)
6. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper, then coat in the flour. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat well.
7. Fill a pot with enough oil to fry and heat it to 170°C (340°F). Dip a piece of chicken in the beaten egg, making sure there are no dry spots, and gently place it in the oil, skin side down.
8. Repeat with the remaining chicken, working in batches if needed, and fry for 7–8 minutes, or until cooked through. You can shallow-fry instead if you prefer.
9. Drain on a wire rack, then coat the chicken in the nanban sauce.
10. To serve, arrange lettuce and shredded cabbage on each plate. Put the chicken alongside and top with a generous amount of tartar sauce. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and serve with a bowl of hot rice.