Not much beats a chilled out TV dinner of sticky, crispy chicken – just what we all need in these difficult times of lockdown. Chef Adam Handling has shared a recipe for his 'good mood chicken' (totally loving that name) where he takes deboned chicken thighs and fries them in the most delicious-sounding sticky sauce - caviar optional!
'Good Mood' Crispy Chicken
Serves 5, preparation time 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the sticky sauce:
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 30g grated ginger
- 110g white sugar
- 50ml soy sauce
- 50g Gochujang
- 50ml rice vinegar
For the chicken:
- 500g deboned chicken thighs, cut into pieces (leave the skin on)
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 50ml soy sauce
- 70g potato starch (N.B. you can use cornflour or tapioca flour)
For the garnish:
- Fresh coriander leaves (optional)
- Fresh lime
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INSTRUCTIONS
For the sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and ginger and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they’re softened. Pour in the sugar and dissolve. Add the Gochujang, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes on a low heat, until the liquid has reduced. You want to achieve a spicy, sticky sauce.
For the chicken
Add the pepper and soy sauce to the chicken and leave to marinate for a few hours (it’s not essential but it adds to the overall depth of flavour).
Cover the chicken in the potato starch; this will ensure a crispy texture. Fry the meat in a hot pan of oil. Remove almost all of the chicken and add 2 large tablespoons of sauce to the pan. Stir the sauce - the small amount of oil should loosen the sauce. Add the chicken and stir until all the pieces are evenly covered in sauce.
For serving
Arrange the sticky chicken on a plate and serve with some fresh coriander leaves scattered on the top and lime wedges on the side.
For more of Adam Handling's free online recipes, visit adamhandling.co.uk/recipes/
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