← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 3 coriander roots (or a handful of stems)
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp thin soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 30 long fresh or thawed pandan leaves
• 1 l neutral oil, for deep-frying
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp Water
• 2 tbsp thin soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black soy sauce
• 1 tsp white vinegar (optional)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Pound the coriander roots, garlic and peppercorns to a paste. Mix with the chicken, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar and marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.
2. Make the sauce: simmer the sugar, water and both soy sauces for 3–4 minutes until slightly syrupy. Add the vinegar, cool, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. Wrap each piece of chicken: fold a pandan leaf into a loop around the chicken, then keep wrapping the leaf around and tuck the end through to make a snug little parcel. Trim the tail.
4. Heat the oil to 165°C (330°F) and fry the parcels in batches for 5–6 min, until the leaves darken and the chicken inside reaches 75°C (165°F).
5. Drain and serve hot with the sauce. Unwrap at the table; the leaves are for flavour, not eating.

Tips

• Frozen pandan leaves from Asian grocers work well; thaw and dry them first.
• Oyster sauce and soy sauce contain wheat.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

ImportFood Rachel Cooks Thai