TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN WITH FRIED BASIL
This spiced fried chicken is a staple in the night markets of Taiwan. You can order the chicken in cutlet form or small bites like these, which are served in paper bags with wooden skewers. This recipe uses a few spices that cannot be skipped: five-spice powder and white pepper. The Sichuan peppercorns are a bonus, adding a little numbing tingle. If you can't find Sichuan peppercorns, use black peppercorns instead. You won't get the same tingly feeling, but the chicken will be just as good. This fried chicken recipe happens to be gluten-free thanks to the tapioca flour, which imparts the dish's signature crunch.
Provided by Sue Li
Categories dinner, snack, finger foods, poultry, appetizer, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large bowl, season chicken thighs with soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, white pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside to marinate about 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate it overnight.
- When ready to cook, fit a medium pot with a cooking thermometer and heat vegetable oil over medium to 350 degrees. Coarsely grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and mix with the remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Set aside.
- Wet your hands and toss marinated chicken with tapioca flour and about 1 tablespoon water until the tapioca flour looks like small beads and clings to the chicken. (Adding a little moisture to your chicken helps the tapioca flour form small beads that will also stick to the chicken and give it a very crunchy crust.)
- Working in batches, add the battered chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon or spider, transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and season each batch with peppercorn mixture.
- Fry basil leaves until translucent and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, then scatter over the fried chicken. Serve with leftover peppercorn mixture for sprinkling to taste.
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John Lham
[email protected]This dish was a lot of work, and it didn't turn out that great.
Precious Nwankpa
[email protected]The chicken was a bit overcooked, but the sauce was delicious.
Joshua Bature
[email protected]I found this recipe to be a bit bland. I added some extra spices to taste.
rati chxetiani
[email protected]This dish was a bit too spicy for me, but my husband loved it.
K I N G
[email protected]I loved the basil in this dish. It added a really nice flavor.
Md asatolla Mia
[email protected]The chicken was crispy and the sauce was delicious.
Kakooza Hassan
[email protected]This dish was easy to make and turned out great! I will definitely be making this again.
Hagzgz Jshssg
[email protected]I made this dish for a party, and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved the crispy chicken and the flavorful sauce.
fleming ngambi
[email protected]This recipe was a little more time-consuming than I expected, but it was worth it. The chicken was crispy and flavorful, and the sauce was delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Asfatuz Zaman
[email protected]This dish was easy to make and turned out great! The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The basil added a nice flavor, and the sauce was delicious.
Md Tarif Khan
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of popcorn chicken, but this recipe changed my mind. The chicken was so crispy and juicy, and the basil added a really nice flavor. I'll definitely be making this again.
Endegena Tadesse
[email protected]This popcorn chicken was a hit with my family! The chicken was crispy and flavorful, and the basil added a nice touch of freshness. I will definitely be making this again.