C's here, C's there, C's everywhere

And so I continue with using the letter "C," alliterating when I shouldn't. But the cookie craze has discontinued, leading into a coup by chicken curry.

It's been on my mind for quite some time to grab some panko crumbs and make chicken katsu. I even contemplated tonkatsu when I had 5 lbs of pork chops in my freezer, granted that was made into Regency sunday dinner instead. Finally, I bought a canister of panko crumbs, eggs always reside in my fridge as does flour and I pulled out 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a fit of allergy-induced sickness.

Mind you, I'm not often brought down by allergic reactions minus that induced by those evil little blood-sucking fiends that carry dengue but this flowering peacock apparently has much to answer for.

In any case, I still had some Japanese curry leftover that I made earlier so what better to go over rice than some pan-fried chicken katsu reminiscent of eating lunch at Kitaro's in San Francisco right before going to the Main Library downtown across from City Hall for a few hours of knitting.
Chicken Katsu

3 chicken breasts, 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup panko crumbs
oil

Taking the chicken breasts, pound each one to 1/2 inch thickness. This will allow the chicken to cook quickly and evenly in the pan, making for a fast dinner option that looks like it took a long time to prepare. Place the flour on a plate or shallow dish. Beat the egg and place in a bowl or shallow dish. Spread the panko crumbs into a third dish.

Season the chicken as desired before dredging in a coat of flour. Tap off the excess before dipping into the beaten egg. When the chicken is coated, allow excess egg to drip off and coat in breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to coat. Repeat for all the pieces of chicken.In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil, coating the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the breaded chicken, cooking for 5-10 mins on each side until cooked through and lightly golden brown. With the oven turned to 200 degrees, store fried chicken on a baking pan as you cook each piece so it stays warm until ready to serve.

Slice into strips and place over rice with homemade curry or a favorite sauce. =D