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Street-Style Crispy Chicken

While visiting Guangzhou, I came across a street vendor selling crispy little nuggets of chicken, flavored with red fermented bean curd. How unusual! And how absolutely delicious! Typically, bean curds are fermented in rice wine and chilies. I like the intense flavor of red fermented bean curd for cooking or marinating, and I use white fermented bean curd in lighter fare, like stir-fried vegetables. As a child, I even ate fermented bean curd over steamed rice. Oops, don't tell my mom!

Makes 4 servings

Marinade
2 cubes (about 1 ounce) red fermented bean curd
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch-wide strips

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
1 green onion, green parts only, chopped

To make the marinade: mash the bean curd with the tines of a fork to a paste. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken, cover, and for 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a stir-fry pan or 2-quart saucepan and heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the cornstarch and egg with a whisk in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and stir to evenly. Working in batches, deep-fry the chicken, gently stirring to prevent pieces from sticking together, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove with a wire strainer or slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Divide the chicken between four parchment paper cones, little brown paper bags, or individual bowls. Garnish each with some of the green onions and serve.