← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken wings or drumsticks
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 3 coriander roots or a few stalks
• 1 tsp whole white peppercorns
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 60 g Rice flour
• 30 g plain flour (or tempura flour)
• ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 150 ml ice-cold water
• 1 l neutral oil, for deep frying
• 3 tbsp Crispy fried shallots (optional)
• 4 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce (optional)
• 400 g sticky rice, steamed (optional)

Method

1. Pound the garlic, coriander roots and peppercorns to a paste. Mix with the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, rub all over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
2. Whisk the rice flour, plain flour, baking soda and salt with the cold water into a thin batter, like single cream.
3. Heat the oil in a deep pot or wok to 160°C (320°F). Dip the chicken in the batter, let the excess drip off and fry in batches for 10–12 min, turning, until pale golden and cooked through (75°C / 165°F at the bone). Drain on a rack.
4. Raise the oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the chicken again in batches for 2–3 minutes, until deep golden and crackling crisp.
5. Drain well, pile onto a platter and scatter with the crispy shallots. Serve hot with sweet chilli sauce and sticky rice.

Tips

• The second fry is what makes it stay crunchy for ages, so do not skip it.
• Never fill a pot more than half full with oil, and keep a lid nearby in case it flares.

Sources

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

Rachel Cooks Thai Marion's Kitchen