Hit from Taiwan: popcorn chicken
Taiwanese cuisine is one of the most underrated Asian cuisines. The food is amazing, but you never hear anyone talk about it. Hopefully, this deep-fried popcorn chicken will change that.
We’re already all eating spicy Korean fried chicken en masse, but Taiwanese fried chicken is just as delicious. Much less spicy—or actually not spicy at all. No, this chicken’s USP is its insanely crispy crust. Oh, and the fact that its shape looks a little like popcorn. Hence the name.
Popcorn
The chicken is cut into small pieces and then marinated in a mixture of ginger, garlic, spring onion, soy sauce, five-spice powder and mirin, among other things. The secret to that ultimate crispy coating? The batter contains sweet potato flour. Don’t panic—it’s readily available at Asian supermarkets. Whatever you do, don’t replace it with regular flour, or it will never get this crispy.
Because you marinate the chicken, it’s incredibly flavorful, but you also add Thai basil as an extra. Stir-fry it for 30 seconds first so it wilts, then toss it through the chicken. Once you’ve tasted this, you’ll never want KFC again.
Make it yourself?
Since Taiwanese cuisine hasn’t really made its way into the Dutch mainstream yet, I don’t know anywhere you can eat this chicken. So there’s nothing for it but to make it yourself. This recipe is my favorite and comes out perfectly from the deep fryer every time. Add an ice-cold beer and you’re all set.
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