Pan-Fried Chicken in Soy Sauce

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Cut the chicken breast into medium pieces about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. I ended up with 9 pieces. Don't cut them too small, so the meat stays nice and juicy, and cut across the grain when you can. If you're cooking for a set number of people, plan how many pieces you'll need — in my case I was feeding three, and everyone got three pieces.

2. Step 2:

   

   Make the marinade for the chicken. In a deep bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, and garlic powder. Use plain soy sauce or a flavored one — just keep in mind it will shape the final taste of the dish.

3. Step 3:

   

   Add the chicken to the bowl of marinade, toss to coat every piece well, and let it soak for 20 minutes. Don't add salt — soy sauce is already plenty salty.

4. Step 4:

   

   Set a skillet over medium heat and let it get good and hot — no need to grease it, since there's already oil in the marinade. Add the chicken pieces along with the sauce and fry for 5 minutes on one side. The meat will start to release its juices, but we won't let them run off — we'll flip the pieces to the other side.

5. Step 5:

   

   Fry the chicken on the second side for another 5 minutes, but lower the heat a bit and cover the pan with a lid. Don't cook it any longer than that, or it will turn out dry. Turn off the heat and take the chicken out of the pan. Arrange the pieces on a plate, spoon over the sauce left in the pan before it cooks away, and sprinkle with sesame seeds — white, black, or a 50/50 mix. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.