Zangi (Hokkaido fried chicken)

Ingredients

• 600 g chicken thigh fillets (preferably skin-on)
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder, or dashi powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• Salt and white pepper
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup plain flour
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Sliced lemon, thinly sliced cabbage, to serve

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into 5 cm chunks. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bicarb soda, sake, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chicken stock powder, sugar and eggs and mix well to combine. Season well with salt and white pepper. Add the potato starch and plain flour to the chicken and mix well to form a batter. Set aside until ready to fry.
2. Heat enough oil to deep-fry in a large wok or deep-fryer to 170˚C. Pick up the chicken pieces using tongs, allowing any excess batter to drip off, then deep-fry in batches for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a wire rack and allow to stand for 10 minutes, until all the chicken is cooked. Deep-fry the chicken pieces a second time for 1 minute, or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
3. Serve the zangi with sliced lemon and cabbage on the side.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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