Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken with Fried Basil

Step 1

Cut chicken. Chop chicken into small 1-inch chunks. If you can, leave a bit of chicken skin on each piece.

Step 2

Marinate chicken. In a large bowl, add bite-sized pieces of chicken. Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, Five Spice powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, white pepper, and sugar. Mix gently until well combined.

Step 3

Deep fry chicken. Set up a Dutch Oven with 1-2 inches of vegetable oil and a candy thermometer clipped to the side. When the temperature reaches 350F/176C, deep fry the chicken until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Fry in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Transfer crispy chicken to a cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan.

Step 4

*Double fry the chicken. For best results, deep fry the chicken twice. After frying the chicken the first time, deep fry again until deep golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 5

Deep fry basil. Remove basil from the stems. Add basil to the hot oil, being careful of the oil splatter. Deep fry until crispy, about 1 minute. Transfer fried basil to the cooling rack.

Step 6

Add spice mix. In a large bowl, add the fried chicken. Sprinkle the white pepper and Spice Mix all over the top. Toss the chicken a few times in the bowl, until well coated with the spice mix.

Step 7

*To make spice mix: Crush sichuan peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Or, place in a ziploc baggie and smash into bits with a rolling pin. Combine with the salt, sugar, and ground cumin.

Step 8

Serve. Transfer to a plate. Top with the fried basil. Enjoy immediately!