August Recipe #1: Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 🍿🐔

Check out the stream where I made this recipe!

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⭐ Ingredients
1 large chicken thigh (boneless, skin can be on or off)
1 tsp soy sauce
White pepper to taste
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
50ml water
Thai basil
Sweet potato starch (type with small granules in it)

Seasoning mix
Salt
MSG
Five-spice powder

• Cut the chicken thigh into bite sized pieces and place into mixing bowl.

• Into same mixing bowl, add in soy sauce, white pepper, and salt, and mix thoroughly.

• Cover bowl with saran wrap and let marinate in the fridge for at least 20 min or up to overnight.

• In a separate mixing bowl, mix in flour, salt, and five-spice powder.

• Mixing with chopsticks or a fork, slowly drizzle in the water while mixing until it reaches a liquid glue consistency.

  • Might end up using less or more than 50ml depending on flour and humidity.

• Into the batter mixing bowl, combine with the marinated chicken, and mix thoroughly until each piece is evenly coated.

• In a separate plate or bowl, pour out some sweet potato starch, enough to coat all the chicken.

• Dip each piece of battered chicken into the starch evenly and set aside so it can absorb the starch a bit, and as you wait for the oil to heat up.

• In a fry pot, prepare frying oil on medium heat.

• If the oil forms small bubbles around the tip of a wooden chopstick when inserted into the oil, it's hot enough (350°F).

• Fry all the pieces a few at a time for about 5 min.

  • They should be lightly yellow, maybe even still a bit white.

• Heat up the same oil to 400°F.

• Double-fry all the pieces until they're golden brown, then set aside in a clean and dry mixing bowl.

• Carefully and thoroughly dry your Thai basil so no water is on the leaves.

• Carefully fry the Thai basil for 30 sec, it will bubble rigorously and smoke a bit, so be careful and fry in small batches.

• Place fried basil into same bowl with chicken.

• Sprinkle in the seasoning salt to taste, toss, and serve while hot!