Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞 | Yan Su Ji )

Step 1

Combine the sweet soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, five spice powder, baking soda, salt and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Step 2

Place the chicken chunks, sauce, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Mix to ensure the sauce fully covers the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 3

In a small frying pan, stir-fry the Sichuan peppercorns over med-high heat being careful not to burn them, about 30 seconds. Remove and grind up the toasted peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Add white pepper, salt and 5-spice powder and set aside seasoning in a small dip bowl.

Step 4

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and stir in the egg yolk. Pour 1.5 cups of sweet potato starch (or flour and 2T. cornstarch) into the bowl with the chicken mixture and mix so the chicken is evenly coated in the starch/flour. Alternatively (but slower), you can spread out the starch/flour on a deep plate, and coat each chicken chunk individually. This ensures each piece is completely covered in starch or flour. Rest coated chicken for 5 minutes before frying. This helps the starch adhere well.

Step 5

While the chicken rests, place 2 cups of oil in a large pot or wok. You may need to add more or less oil depending on the size of your pot. Ensure the oil is 2 inches deep. Heat the oil on high until it reaches 350 degrees F. In two batches, fry the chicken chunks for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, turning the chicken pieces occasionally with tongs to ensure a nice even crisp exterior. Remove chicken pieces from pot.

Step 6

Turn off the heat. Carefully add the Thai leaves to the pot. The oil should still be hot. Fry basil for 30 seconds until the leaves are bright green. Remove with tongs being careful not to crush the leaves. They will be brittle.

Step 7

Sprinkle some Jiao Yan over the fried chicken to taste and garnish with the fried basil. Serve the Taiwanese popcorn chicken as an appetizer or main dish with rice, and serve with extra seasoning on the side.