Recipe courtesy of Saimin Dojo
Fried Chili Pepper Chicken
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Total: 1 day 3 hr 55 min (includes marinating time)
- Active: 1 hr 25 min
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
1 cup sugar
2 cups chopped garlic
1 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon salt
2 pounds boneless skin-on chicken thighs
Sofrito:
1 quart small diced apples
1 quart small diced onions
1 cup minced ginger
1 cup minced garlic
2 quarts oil
Chili Paste:
2 cups tomato paste
1 cup chipotles in adobo
1 cup sambal oelek
3 tablespoons red chile flakes
Salt and pepper
Chili Pepper Sauce:
6 cups soy sauce
4 cups sugar
3 cups mirin
1 cup sambal oelek
1/4 cup chile pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup minced ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Chili Pepper Chicken:
2 quarts oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 scoops cooked white rice
Pinch chopped green onions
Pinch furikake seasoning
Directions
Special equipment:
a deep-fryer- For the chicken marinade: Dissolve the sugar in 3 cups warm water. Add the garlic, fish sauce and salt and mix well. Cool completely. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for 1 day.
- For the sofrito: Place the apples, onions, ginger and garlic in a pot, then add just enough oil so that everything is submerged. Cook on low heat until everything is brown, 2 1/2 hours.
- For the chili paste: Cook the tomato paste and 3 cups sofrito in a pan until it develops a deep red color. Add the chipotles, sambal, chile flakes and salt and pepper. Puree the mixture in a food processor.
- For the chili pepper sauce: Add the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sambal, chile flakes, garlic, ginger, 3 cups water and 2 cups chili paste to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch together with 1 tablespoon water in a bowl.
- When the pot comes to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, 3 more minutes.
- For the chili pepper chicken: Preheat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat in the flour. Dust off any excess and fry in batches until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 cup chili pepper sauce until thoroughly coated.
- Plate with rice and finish by sprinkling with green onions and furikake.