← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken thighs, skin on or off, cut into 2–3 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp tamari (or light soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
• ½ tsp Sugar
• ¼ tsp White pepper
• 1 Eggs, beaten
• 150 g coarse tapioca or sweet potato starch
• 1 l neutral oil, for deep-frying
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves, dried well
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp White pepper
• ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper
• ¼ tsp Chilli powder (optional)

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the tamari, garlic, ginger, five-spice, sugar and white pepper. Marinate for 30 min, or up to a day in the fridge. Stir in the egg.
2. Mix the pepper-salt ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Tip the starch onto a tray and toss the chicken pieces in it, pressing so they are well coated. Leave for 5 min until the coating looks damp, then toss again.
4. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F). Fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 min, until pale golden and cooked through to 75°C (165°F). Drain on a rack.
5. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F) and fry all the chicken again for 1 minute, until deep golden and very crisp. Drop in the basil for the last few seconds (stand back, it spits) and lift everything out together.
6. Toss straight away with the pepper salt and eat hot, with cocktail sticks.

Tips

• Coarse sweet potato or tapioca starch gives the craggy, crunchy coating Taiwanese stalls are famous for.
• Contains egg. Check that your five-spice and tamari are gluten-free.
• Use a deep, heavy pan no more than a third full of oil, never leave it unattended, and keep a lid nearby.

Sources

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

Taste of Asian Food Tiffy Cooks Seasaltwithfood