Chicken Katsu Pasta with Garlicky Mushroom Sauce

When east meets west – crispy chicken cutlets over pasta with an intensely flavourful mushroom sauce with garlicky flavours. Simply divine.

The first time I tried a fusion style of katsu was at Katsuya – their carbonara katsu. I’ve always had katsu curry, so I was really excited to try something that was totally different. I was amazed by their carbonara katsu, because I never realized a cream sauce would go so well with katsu too.

Today, I wanted to create something similar to what I had before. Instead of the carbonara sauce, I wanted to make a simple creamy mushroom sauce, while full of garlicky flavours. Katsuya serves rice with their dishes, so I decided to switch things up and use pasta instead (it’s also because I love pasta too much).

Meet the fusion version of katsu.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
• 225g cremini mushrooms (sliced)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream or milk
• Chili flakes
• 1/3 cup parmesan
• 4 servings of pasta
• Dried parsley

Katsu:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs (whisked)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Neutral oil for frying

Instructions

Sauce:

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, shallots, and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, or until golden. Stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms have caramelized, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet to a plate and set aside.
2. Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits off the pan. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by 1/3. Then, pour in the chicken stock and heavy cream. Mix and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Season with salt & pepper, and chili flakes. Stir in the parmesan. Then, add back in the mushrooms and give everything a good mix.

Katsu:

1. Remove any excess moisture on the chicken breasts with a paper towel.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Pound the chicken to an even thickness of about 1cm. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
3. In a large skillet, heat up the oil until it reaches to 340ºF (170ºC).
4. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, and dust off any excess flour. Then coat it with the beaten egg. Lastly, coat it with the panko breadcrumbs, while packing the panko into the chicken tightly – make sure there are no empty spots.
5. Gently place the breaded chicken into the oil, frying for about 3 minutes, while turning the chicken once halfway through. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown. Let it rest on a wire rack for a few minutes.

To Serve:

Add the pasta to the plate and pour in the sauce. Give it a mix if you’d like. Gently place the sliced katsu on top, and pour on more sauce. Sprinkle on some dried parsley and enjoy!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!