Spicy Garlic Chicken

I absolutely love this dish! This Asian-inspired dish is delightfully spicy with a hefty garlic kick that you are sure to enjoy! The sticky sweet sauce doubles also as the marinade which is a real time saver. The chicken is fried in a light combo of flour and potato starch but you can easily sub the potato starch for corn starch if that’s what you have. :)

Time: approximately 30-40 minutes

Serves: 1-2 small appetites ( I originally made this as a singleton lunch) but all the proportions can be easily multiplied

For the sauce (marinade):

• 1/2 cup Soy sauce

• 1/2 cup Mirin

• 3 tbs white sugar

• 2 tbs minced garlic

• 1 tbs ginger paste

• +2tbs sugar and 1 tbs chili flake (later!)

• 1 tbs water/cornstarch mixture (later!)

For the chicken:

• 1/2 lb. cubed chicken (thighs are best, I only had a breast)

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup AP flour

• 1/4 cup Potato or Corn starch

• Oil for frying

Method:

In a small bowl mix together all sauce ingredients except the additional sugar, chili flake, and corn starch. Split the mixture in half. With one half coat the chicken in a small bowl and set aside to marinate at least 15 minutes.

If you have a fryer, get your oil heating out 360-370F.

In a small saucepan coat the bottom with 2-3 tsp of canola or vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Add in your chili flake and stir. As soon as you can smell the chili aromatizing add in the marinade mixture that you reserved as well as the additional 2 tbs of sugar. Once the mixture starts simmering add in the cornstarch and water. It will thicken quickly and once thick remove from heat.

Mix around your chicken a bit and drain the marinade out into the sink or dispose of it. Into your chicken mix in a beaten egg and the flour and starch mixture. Coat the chicken evenly!

Gently and slowly place your chicken into hot oil. If you just plop it in it will go straight to the bottom and stick so you need to slowly lower it into the oil so it can create a bit of a skin. Fry the chicken for roughly 3 minutes or until brown and crispy. You can also double fry by first frying your chicken for two minutes at 350F and then again for 1 minute at 375F for ultra crisp.

Once your chicken is done, heat your sauce quickly on the stove until bubbling again and toss your chicken in it and top with green onion! Delicious!