Description:
Taiwanese people don't just fry their chicken... That flavor, that crispiness! Here's the secret!
Prep Time: 15 mins + overnight
Cook Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 egg yolk
1 cup sweet potato starch
1/4 cup corn starch
Seasoning:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons cooking wine
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoons 5 spice powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
frying oil
Instructions:
- To prep the chicken breasts, butterfly them, and pound them with a meat pounder until they're evenly flat.
- In a large bowl, mix minced garlic, soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, half of the 5 spice powder, white pepper. Marinate the chicken in this sauce overnight.
- Next day, add egg yolk and corn starch into the marinated chicken and mix it well. This is what keeps the coating from separating from the chicken.
- On a plate, mix sweet potato starch, rest of the 5 spice powder, and garlic powder. This is the coating for the fried chicken.
- Place the marinated chicken breasts on the plate one by one and coat it completely with the mix. Let it sit for about 5 mins before frying so that the sweet potato starch has time to stick onto the chicken.
- Heat a pot of frying oil under medium heat. Make sure the oil is not bubbling or else it will cook the meat too fast. If you're using a deep fryer, do not exceed 160 C or 320 F.
- Fry the chicken until golden brown and remove from the oil. Turn the heat to high or around 180 C or 360 F.
- Dip the fried chicken back in to the hot oil for about 10 seconds to give it crispiness.
- Place it on a metal rack to drain out the excess oil, then cut it up to serve.
You can use Pork instead of chicken to make the famous Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice!
Taiwanese Chicken NuggetsThis is as popular as the fried chicken, and it's really not that different. Instead of using a whole piece of chicken breast, just cut it into cubes. And then just add basil into the oil along with the chicken during the last dip in the hot oil. That's all!
5 Spice PowderThis can be purchased at an oriental market. It is very important for this recipe because it contains a lot of the flavoring!
Sweet Potato StarchAlthough the picture says "Tapioca starch" it's actually quite different. Sweet potato starch is more coarse, and unlike tapioca starch, it keeps the coating crispy. If you use tapioca starch or corn starch to fry, it'll become soggy very quickly.
