Yan Su Ji
鹽酥雞·(yán sū jī)
Ye Shi (夜市) – Recreating the Night Market
Midnight at Shilin Night Market, paper bags spot with grease and you smell it blocks away—the peppery aroma of Thai basil blistering in oil, white pepper, and five-spice hitting the humid night air. To capture that crunch, you need coarse sweet potato starch and the patience to let it rest on the meat before frying. Eat it out of a paper bag with a bamboo skewer if you know what's good for you.
Before you start
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon of the five-spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the white pepper, the kosher salt, and the cayenne pepper.
This is your dusting powder; having it ready ensures you can season the chicken the exact second it comes out of the hot oil.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- soy paste or soy sauce2 tbsp
- Michiu or Shaoxing rice wine1 tbsp
- white sugar1 tsp
- garlic3 med cloves
- five-spice powder3/4 tsp
- white pepper3/4 tsp
- egg1 large
- coarse sweet potato starch1 1/2 cup
- neutral oil1 qt
- Thai basil leaves1 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
In a large bowl, aggressively massage the chicken with the soy paste, rice wine, sugar, garlic, egg, 1/2 teaspoon of the five-spice powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper until all liquid is absorbed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if you have the foresight.
- 02
Pour the starch into a wide dish and, working in batches, press the meat into the flour so it heavily coats every craggy crevice, shaking off the excess.
- 03
Place the coated pieces on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes until the stark white powder turns damp and slightly translucent.
This is a non-negotiable Taiwanese technique called fan chao that guarantees the crust won't blow off in the fryer.
- 04
Heat two inches of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 330°F, carefully drop the chicken in one by one, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until pale golden before removing to a clean rack.
- 05
Crank the oil to 375°F and plunge all the chicken back in for 60 seconds until deeply golden and violently crispy.
- 06
In the final 15 seconds of frying, stand back and toss the completely dry basil leaves directly into the hot fat.
Cover with a splatter screen instantly to prevent a mess, and fry just until the leaves are crisp.
- 07
Scoop the chicken and basil out of the oil with a spider, throw them into a large bowl, and vigorously toss with the prepared dusting powder.
Serve immediately, ideally in a paper bag with a bamboo skewer.
Notes
To get that unmistakable, deafening crunch that takes you straight back to a Taipei night market, standard flour won't cut it.
You must procure coarse sweet potato starch (粗粒地瓜粉) from an Asian grocer. The 5-minute hydration rest (fan chao) is equally critical; it acts as a glue so the crust survives the aggressive double-fry.