Southern Thai-Style Fried Chicken
Serves 4
I am a fan of fried chicken the world over, but this version is particularly flavorful and crunchy. The layering of spices in the marinade, breading, and post-fry dusting is key here, and yes, those measurements are in *tablespoons*. Note that the cornstarch, key to the crispy shell of this chicken, will not brown as deeply as flour. Trust your thermometer and timer. Be sure to make the delicious sweet chili sauce from scratch -- it's amazing, much better than the bottled version.
Ingredients #
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp ground coriander
- 3 tbsp ground white pepper (divided 1 & 2)
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut crosswise into 3 strips
- 2 cups cornstarch
- Kosher salt
- Peanut oil for deep frying
- Fried shallots (make your own, or buy at an Asian grocery), optional.
- Lime wedges to serve
- Sweet chili sauce to serve
Instructions #
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin and coriander until fragrant, being careful not to burn them, about 2 minutes. Move to a small bowl and stir in 1 tbsp of the white pepper. Set aside.
In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, whisk the egg white with the fish sauce, and 1/4 cup water. Mix in the cilantro, chiles, and 3 tbsp of the spice mixture. Set the rest of the spice mixture aside. Add the chicken to the egg mixture and stir until everything is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for up to an hour.
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch, the remaining 2 tbsp of white pepper, and a teaspoon of salt.
Drain the chicken in a colander. Scrape off the excess marinade, add 1/3 of the chicken to the starch mixture, and toss to coat completely. Lay the pieces in a single layer on the prepared rack (try not to have them touching each other). Repeat with the remaining chicken in two batches.
Set another wire rack over a clean baking sheet lined with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 350-360 F. The oil should be at least 2" deep.
Add 1/3 of the chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until lightly golden brown – about 5 minutes. While cooking, maintain the oil temperature around 350 F.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, move the chicken pieces to the prepared rack and immediately season on all sides with 1/3 of the remaining spice mixture. Repeat the cooking and seasoning with the remaining two batches of chicken.
Sprinkle the fried shallots over the chicken if using. Serve with lime wedges and sweet chili dipping sauce.