Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 x 125g/3oz chicken thigh fillets, skinless and boneless (or 2 breasts)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 – 1 1/2 litres (4 – 6 cups) vegetable or canola oil, for frying – 4cm / 1.6" depth (re-usable)
Stay-Crisp Fry Batter
- 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup COLD soda water, not sparking mineral water
Lemon Sauce
- 6 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth, low sodium
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp ginger, finely grated
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) (can omit for alcohol-free)
Garnish (optional)
- Lemon slices, to serve (optional)
- 1 green onion, finely sliced on the diagonal, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Prep - Refrigerate batter dry – Whisk the cornflour, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then put it in the fridge which you proceed with other prep.
- 2
Prep - Pound chicken – Place chicken on a cutting board and cover with a freezer bag or similar then pound with a meat mallet or bottom of a skillet until it is an even 0.7cm / 1/3" thick. Sprinkle both sides with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- 3
Prep - Dust – Spread the cornflour on a plate and dust each side of the chicken with it, shaking off excess. Put on a plate and set aside while you keep preparing.
- 4
Frying - Preheat oil to 160°C/320°F in a large heavy based pot (mine is 24cm/9.4"). The oil needs to be at least 4cm/1.6" depth so the chicken floats.
- 5
Frying - Finish batter – Remove bowl from the fridge, add soda water and whisk just until combined, then stop – some small lumps are ok, better than whisking to death (makes crust less puffy and light). It should be a fairly thin batter, enough to coat the chicken but fairly thinly.
- 6
Frying - Fry #1 – Dip a piece of chicken in the batter and let the excess drip off, then carefully place in the oil. Do another piece (if it will fit). Fry for 3 minutes until very pale golden. Remove onto a paper towel lined tray and repeat with remaining chicken.
- 7
Frying - Cool chicken for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- 8
Sauce - Lemon Sauce – Place the cornflour and a splash of the chicken stock in a small saucepan. Whisk until lump-free, then add remaining stock and sauce ingredients. Whisk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then let it simmer for 3 minutes, whisking every now and then until it becomes a thin honey consistency. At first, it will go very thick (too thick for sauce) then it becomes thinner. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm (reheated if needed to loosen).
- 9
Frying - Fry #2 – Heat the oil to 200°C/390°F. Fry 2 pieces of chicken for 3 minutes until deep golden and super crispy, turning the chicken in the oil at the halfway mark. Remove onto a paper towel lined tray and repeat with remaining chicken.
- 10
Serving - Serving – Cut the chicken into 2cm thick slices (3/4"), transfer onto individual or shared serving plate. Pour over the Lemon Sauce, garnish with green onions and lemon slices if using. Serve with steamed rice.
