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Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Yan Su Ji)

- Serves 4 (or 1 in my case 😉)

Ever head of Yan Su Ji? These spicy, fried chicken nuggets are a popular street food from Taiwan and are now gaining popularity all over the world. The golden beauties may look like your regular chicken pop-corn, but once you taste them you know the western counterpart doesn’t even come close. Flavored with fermented tofu, five spice, freshly toasted Sichuan peppercorns and crispy-fried Thai basil, these golden babies taste so good, once you start eating them, it’s impossible to stop!


Making Yan Su Ji is easier than you think - all you need to do is simply marinate bite-size pieces of chicken with a bunch of spices and done. I much prefer to use boneless chicken thighs for their tender and succulent meat, and of course their forgiving nature when it comes to over-cooking chicken. Let the chicken sit in the marinade, then drench it in coarse sweet potato flour (or corn flour if you absolutely cannot find sweet potato flour at your Asian grocer or on Amazon - impossible if you ask me 😉). Next, deep-fry it twice (yes, you heard me right! I said twice) - this will not only ensure a crispy, irresistible exterior, but also get rid of any excess oil your chicken absorbed during the first fry. Finally, thrown in a good handful of fragrant Thai basil toward the last five seconds of frying, pull the chicken and the crispy basil out into a large bowl, and toss in some freshly ground Jiao Yan (Chinese salt and pepper mix). And you are in fast-food heaven!! Check out our quick recipe video on Instagram!

Image by Luisa Brimble
Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR Jiao Yan (seasoning)

  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

  • 1/2 tablespoon whole white peppercorns

  • 1/2 tablespoon sea-salt


INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN

  • 500g boneless chicken thighs

  • 1 small block fermented tofu, mashed 

  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

  • 1/4 teaspoon sea-salt

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

  • 1 teaspoon five spice powder

  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 egg white

  • 1 cup coarse sweet potato starch

  • large handful Thai sweet basil leaves

  • Coconut or Rice Bran oil, for deep-frying

Recipes

1.To make the seasoning, toast Sichuan peppercorns and white peppercorns on low-medium flame in a dry frying pan, for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly. Toast sea-salt for a few minutes in the same pan, to get rid of excess moisture. Place everything in a coffee grinder or spice mill - grind until fine. (you can also use a mortar and pestle to pound spices together.) Store the seasoning in an air-tight container for later use.


2. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Add mashed tofu, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sea-salt, five-spice powder, minced garlic, grated ginger, and all-purpose flour. Crack in 1 egg white. Stir well, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.


3. Cover the bottom of a large clean tray with a layer of sweet potato starch. Add a layer of chicken. Slightly dust more sweet potato starch to cover the chicken. Toss to coat well. Set aside.


4. Repeat the process with the rest of the chicken and rest for 10 minutes.


5. Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok or saucepan, on medium flame, until it the surface of the oil is shimmering (about 5 minutes or until it reaches 180ºC).


6. Fry chicken in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Deep-fry for about 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove on a wire rack to drain and cool. Finish frying the rest of the chicken.


7. Once done, double-fry every batch of cooled chicken for 2 more more minutes until crispy golden all over. Add some fresh basil leaves towards the last 5 seconds of frying, cover to avoid oil spluttering, and remove promptly on a tray. Sprinkle Jiao Yan all over and serve hot with crispy basil!

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