Crispy Five-Spice Popcorn Chicken with Fried Basil

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Bite-size chicken thigh pieces marinated in soy, garlic and five-spice, dredged in cornstarch and deep-fried until shatteringly crisp, then tossed with a fragrant five-spice salt. A handful of basil leaves flashed in the hot oil for 15 seconds turns crackly and perfumes the whole bowl. Twelve ingredients, one pot of oil, and better than any takeout version.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1.5 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 3/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 large egg

• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt
• 6 cups neutral oil, such as vegetable or peanut
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed and completely dry

Instructions

1. In a bowl, stir the chicken with the soy sauce, sherry, garlic, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the five-spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the white pepper and the egg until every piece is coated. Let sit 15 minutes at room temperature while you set up the rest.
2. Make the finishing salt: mix the kosher salt with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove.
3. Put the cornstarch in a wide shallow bowl. Lift the chicken from the marinade a few pieces at a time, letting excess drip off, and toss in the cornstarch until thickly and shaggily coated. Set the coated pieces on a plate in a single layer.
4. Pour the oil into a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven or deep pot — it should come no more than one-third up the sides, which is the key safety margin against boil-over. Heat over medium-high to 350°F on a clip-on thermometer, about 10 minutes. Keep a lid within reach to smother a flare-up, keep children and pets out of the kitchen, and never move a pot of hot oil.
5. Fry the chicken in 3 batches so the oil never drops below 325°F, lowering pieces in gently with tongs. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per batch, stirring once, until deep golden and crisp and the interior reads 165°F. Lift to the rack and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
6. With the heat off and the oil still at about 340°F, stand back and add the dry basil leaves all at once — they will spatter hard for a few seconds. Fry 15 to 20 seconds until translucent and crackly, then remove with a slotted spoon to the rack.
7. Tip the hot chicken into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the five-spice salt and toss, then scatter the fried basil over the top. Serve immediately, while the coating is still crackling.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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