Donal Skehan's sticky soy and ginger popcorn chicken
It's finally Friday, and Donal is whipping up a perfect dinner to get us in the mood for the weekend. His sticky soy and ginger popcorn chicken is packed full of flavour, for all the family to enjoy! And better still, it can be prepared in advance, making the end of the week even easier.
Sticky sriracha & ginger popcorn chicken with rice & slaw
Serves: 6
Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 2 garlic cloves, grated3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine2 tbsp soy sauce200g potato flour or cornflour1 tsp Chinese five-spice 750ml vegetable oil 250g basmati rice, rinsed1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted5 spring onions, thinly slicedSea salt
For the glaze: 2 tbsp tomato ketchup4 tbsp sriracha 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated1 garlic clove, grated2 tbsp dark soy sauce1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
For the slaw: 1 medium white cabbage, cored and finely shredded 2 large carrots, julienned 3 spring onions, thinly sliced1 tbsp sriracha 2 tbsp rice vinegar2 tsp fish sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp soft light brown sugar 1 tbsp sesame oil Handful of mint or Thai basil leaves
Method
1. Put the chicken into a dish with the ginger, garlic, rice wine and soy sauce, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C/220C fan.
3. Toss the flour with the five-spice in a large resealable freezer bag.
4. Heat a 5cm layer of oil in a large wok or heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until it is shimmering. (To test, a cuber of bread should brown in 45 seconds). Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade, shake off any excess, then add to the freezer bag and toss to coat all over.
5. In batches, fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over. Remove from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and place on a baking sheet. Transfer to the over and bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, put all the glaze ingredients into a saucepan over a medium heat and bubble together for a minute or two, then set aside.
7. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the slaw and set aside.
8. Put the rice into a pan and cover with 500ml of cold water. Season with salt and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from the what and leave to stand with the lid on to steam for 2-3 minutes. Fluff up with a fork.
9. Once the chicken is golden and crispy, place in bowls, drizzle with the glaze, scatter over the sesame seeds and spring onions, and serve with the rice and slaw.