Kasahara-Style Black Pepper Lemon Karaage

Always check the chicken thigh for bones, and cut away only the visible sinew with a knife. There is no need to remove all the sinew — just what you can see.

Cutting the pieces small makes them lose their juiciness, so cut into slightly large bite-sized pieces. Cutting with the skin facing up ensures every piece has skin on it, which makes for a better result.

Season in two stages. Start with the dry seasonings. Add salt, sugar, and a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper, and massage well until the salt and sugar dissolve.

Once the salt and sugar have dissolved, add the liquid seasonings. First add the sake and massage well until it is absorbed, with almost no liquid left in the bowl.

Next add the soy sauce and massage well again, until no soy sauce is pooling in the bowl.

Roll the lemon on a cutting board to loosen it, cut it in half, and squeeze it generously over the meat while removing the seeds. Rather than adding it at the end, massage in a whole lemon's worth as part of the seasoning.

Once massaged in well enough that no liquid pools in the bowl, let it sit for about 10 minutes, as if marinating it in the lemon juice.

While it rests, prepare the asparagus for the side. Snap off the tough base with your fingers rather than cutting it with a knife, and just the tough part will break off. Cut the rest into thirds, and score the thicker parts so they cook through quickly.

After 10 minutes, apply the coating. Use potato starch only. Coat generously and arrange the pieces so the skin is on the outside (skin on the outside makes them crisp).

After coating, don't fry right away — let it sit for about 10 minutes to dry the surface. The surface moisture soaks into the potato starch so it adheres firmly, making the coating less likely to fall off and giving a crunchy, crisp finish.

Fry for 3 minutes in 170°C oil (hot enough that bubbles fizz up when you add the chicken). Leave it alone for about the first minute, and once the coating has set, move it gently to separate any pieces stuck together. Remove the pieces as they color, and rest them for 3 minutes as the residual heat slowly cooks them through. Skim out the bits of coating, as they degrade the oil.

While the chicken rests, deep-fry the asparagus without any coating. Fry the thin parts for about 1 minute and the base ends for 1 to 2 minutes.

After resting the meat for 3 minutes, fry it a second time. To drive off the moisture that has come out from inside the coating, fry for 1 to 2 minutes, exposing it to the air from time to time. Raising the heat at the end lets the oil drain off better so it doesn't turn soggy. It's done once it reaches an appetizing golden brown.

Arrange the crispy karaage on a plate and add the deep-fried asparagus alongside. Serve with mayonnaise if desired, sprinkle black pepper over the mayonnaise, and it's done.