crisp chinese chicken

I adapted this freely from a long-forgotten Chinese recipe. It's very easy and very delicious.

If you can't find potato flour, cornflour is a good substitute.

2 chicken breasts, very thinly sliced across grain (slices no thicker than a £1 coin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
1 medium red chilli, finely chopped
½ spring onion, green parts only, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons potato flour in a large plastic bag
5 tbsps peanut oil for frying

garnish: half a teaspoon of Szechuan pepper, crushed; finely-chopped white part of spring onion plus a very finely chopped red chilli

Mix all the marinade ingredients – garlic, soy sauce, 5-spice powder, sesame oil, medium red chilli and the very finely sliced green parts of the spring onion - in a bowl and add the chicken slices, turning to coat. For best results leave in the fridge overnight.

When ready to cook, put the pieces of chicken into the plastic bag containing the potato flour. Toss until the chicken is well coated and no flour is lying around in the bottom of the bag.

Heat a wok or pan and add the oil. When it is very hot, add the chicken pieces in batches and fry on both sides until done. Remove to heated dish lined with plenty of kitchen paper to absorb residual oiliness.

To serve, sprinkle with the finely chopped red chilli and spring onion, with the crushed Szechuan pepper. Dish up with spiced basmati rice and steamed broccoli with oyster sauce and Shaohsing wine.

2 comments to this

ramtops said on 04 Mar 2008 at 22:10:50:

Sounds lovely! Where do we get potato flour round here?

sasha said on 04 Mar 2008 at 22:22:59:

It's truly delicious - a real favourite in this house. Potato flour is sold at Wai Yee Hong, in the new Oriental Centre on the site of the old Eastgate Market, behind Ikea/Tesco etc. A startling new building.