Whenever I go to a school fair, I step into the area for food stalls with only one mission: to find Taiwanese chicken poppers. I follow the trail of aroma that the dish’s five-spice powder leaves and easily spot it amidst the crowds. I love eating them as a snack after a tiring shift in my class’s booth or on top of rice for dinner. I even eat the fried basil leaves as if they were chips. I always carry a paper bag full of them while mingling around and looking for my friends. If you need a break from the normal American-style fried chicken, I highly suggest making these addicting chicken poppers.
Recipe
Yields 5-7 servings
Ingredients
450 grams boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ tablespoon Chinese wine
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups potato or cassava flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup basil leaves
Oil for frying
Spice mixture
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Green onions, sliced
Procedure
Marinade the chicken in soy sauce, Chinese wine, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, and white pepper for at least one hour.
In a deep frying pan, heat some oil.
Mix the flour and baking powder together.
Dip each piece of chicken in the flour.
Fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Fry the basil leaves.
Mix the five-spice powder, pepper, salt, and sugar together.
Sprinkle the spice mixture onto the chicken.
Garnish with green onions and enjoy!
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