Crispy Garlic Chicken With Dipping Salt
Chef vongerichten sells 60 orders a day of this supermoist hong kong-style chicken. One of the reasons it's so good is that the chicken is fried whole in a wok, yet it doesn't taste remotely oily. The other reason is that the chicken is rubbed with aromatic five-spice powder and salt four hours before being basted with a vinegar and brown sugar syrup, then marinated overnight; plan accordingly. Make ahead: the spiced salt can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Wine: a fruity, peppery red from france's southern rhône valley will complement the chicken and spicy seasoning here. Consider a grenache-dominated gigondas, such as the 1999 domaine du gour de chaulé or the 2000 domaine les paillères.
Steps
Set a fine sieve over a small bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt , the five-spice powder and bouillon cube and rub them through the sieve.
Set the chicken on a platter.
Rub the spice blend all over the chicken inside and out and refrigerate it for 4 hours.
In a medium saucepan , combine the vinegar with the water , brown sugar and baking powder and cook over moderately high heat , stirring occasionally , until the sugar has dissolved.
Transfer the syrup to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Stand the chicken in the syrup and ladle the syrup over it several times.
Transfer the chicken to a rack set over a plate and refrigerate overnight.
Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels.
In a large wok , heat 3 cups of the oil to 375 over moderately high heat.
Carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil , breast side up , and cook until deeply browned on the bottom , about 20 minutes.
Insert a large fork into th.
Ingredients
kosher salt, five-spice powder, chicken bouillon cube, chicken, distilled white vinegar, water, light brown sugar, baking powder, szechwan pepper, vegetable oil, garlic cloves