Hawaiian-Style Fried Chicken
By Diane UngerPublished on June 27, 2016
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour marinating and 30 minutes chilling
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Chicken
1 (3-ounce) piece ginger, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces4 garlic cloves, peeled1 cup water ½ cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved crosswise2 ¼ cups potato starch 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder Salt and pepper 3 quarts peanut or vegetable oilDipping Sauce
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)pepperBefore You Begin
You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. Plan ahead: The chicken marinates for at least an hour before breading. Pressing the chicken after dredging it in the starch ensures a more uniform coating.
Instructions
- Process ginger and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, about 15 seconds; transfer to large bowl. Add water, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil and whisk to combine. Add chicken and press to submerge. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
- Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, and lemon juice together in bowl. Season with pepper to taste.
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet. Whisk potato starch, sesame seeds, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl.
- Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, remove from marinade, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge chicken in potato starch mixture, pressing to adhere. Gently shake off excess and transfer chicken to parchment-lined sheet. Coating will look mottled; using your hand, press on chicken to smooth out coating. Cover sheet tightly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Add peanut oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep; heat oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully add one-third of chicken to pot and fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes, stirring gently as needed to prevent pieces from sticking together. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.
- Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat in 2 more batches with remaining chicken. Serve chicken with sauce.
for the chicken
for the dipping sauce
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1 hour marinating and 30 minutes chillingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dipping Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To give our boneless chicken thighs big flavor, we marinated them in a mixture of soy sauce and water, flavored with finely chopped ginger and garlic, brown sugar, and sesame oil. For a crispy coating, we turned to a mixture of potato starch and baking powder and applied the coating judiciously, pressing the mixture into the chicken so that it would fully adhere and hydrate. Another key to a successful coating was letting the coated chicken rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frying. We made a simple dipping sauce with seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, and fresh lemon juice. The sweet, sour, salty, slightly bitter, umami-packed flavors paired perfectly with the crispy fried chicken.
Before You Begin
You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. Plan ahead: The chicken marinates for at least an hour before breading. Pressing the chicken after dredging it in the starch ensures a more uniform coating.
Instructions
- Process ginger and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, about 15 seconds; transfer to large bowl. Add water, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil and whisk to combine. Add chicken and press to submerge. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
- Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, and lemon juice together in bowl. Season with pepper to taste.
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet. Whisk potato starch, sesame seeds, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl.
- Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, remove from marinade, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge chicken in potato starch mixture, pressing to adhere. Gently shake off excess and transfer chicken to parchment-lined sheet. Coating will look mottled; using your hand, press on chicken to smooth out coating. Cover sheet tightly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Add peanut oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep; heat oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully add one-third of chicken to pot and fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes, stirring gently as needed to prevent pieces from sticking together. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.
- Transfer chicken to prepared rack. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat in 2 more batches with remaining chicken. Serve chicken with sauce.
for the chicken
for the dipping sauce
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