Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Gà Chiên Lá Quế Đài Loan)

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ½ inch knob ginger, grated
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• 1 cup Argo corn starch
• Caola oil, or another neutral, high smoke point oil
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon five spice powder
• 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

• 1 Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes and marinate with soy sauce, shaoxing
  wine, salt, pepper, five spice powder, grated ginger and grated garlic. Let it
  marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• 2 Heat oil to 350 degrees in a heavy bottomed pot or cast iron pan. Deep fry the
  thai basil leaves until they turn dark and crispy (about 3-5 min depending on
  the size of the leaves). Drain the leaves on a paper towel.
• 3 Add Argo corn starch to the marinated chicken and massage it in until every
  piece is coated. You’ll know the chicken is ready when the moisture from the
  meat makes the corn starch bead up and form craggles on the surface. This is how
  you get the crunch!
• 4 Fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy. Work in batches if you
  need to so you don’t overcrowd the oil, which will cause soggy chicken.
• 5 While the chicken is frying, combine five spice powder, Szechuan peppercorns,
  salt and pepper in a spice grinder and blend together.
• 6 Sprinkle your spice mixture over the cooked chicken and serve with fried basil
  leaves.

Nutrition Info