Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili Sauce

What’s better than fried chicken?  Answer: fried chicken smothered in a spicy cilantro-chile sauce.  Boom!  I saw this fantastic recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to make it immediately.  The chicken’s light, crispy exterior is perfect for keeping the meat moist and juicy, while providing that familiar crunch.  I served the chicken with rice and a mixture of spinach and baby bok choy sauteed in soy sauce and sesame oil.  It was the perfect complement to the chicken.  This would be a lovely meal for your Valentine if you’re cooking at home -- easy, yet impressive.  

Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili Sauce (2 servings)

from Cherry On My Sundae

Marinade:

2 chicken legs (drumstick and thigh), deboned, skinless

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 spring onion, finely chopped

2 thin slices ginger, minced

1/2 tsp sugar

Sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper, ground

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp water

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 fresh chili, seeds removed, finely chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 fresh cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped

2 tbsp sweet potato starch, potato starch, or cornstarch 

2 tbsp all purpose flour

oil for deep frying

Marinate the chicken by combining the soy sauce - 1/2 tsp sugar. Add the deboned chicken legs and toss to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the chili sauce by combining all the ingredients from the 2 tbsp soy sauce to the cilantro. Let stand for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Preheat your fryer or frying oil to 325 degrees F. You can either pour about 2-3 cups of the frying oil into a deep pot or into a wok. 

Combine the sweet potato starch, potato starch or cornstarch with the ap flour. Coat the chicken in the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Carefully add the chicken to the heated oil and fry until the chicken is golden brown and cooked throughout, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from the oil and let rest on a paper towel for 1 minute. 

To serve, cut the chicken into strips and pour the dressing on top.

{MiniChow} Bahn Mi Bites

I love Bahn Mi sandwiches!!!  If you don’t know what they are, here it comes:  the bahn mi is basically a Vietnamese style sandwich filled with a variety of meats, most commonly pork, pickled vegetables {daikon, carrots}, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, scallions and finished off with a mayo based sauce made with my favorite condiment: Sriracha! {wow, that was quite the run-on sentence back there!}

Don’t be nervous to give this a whirl -- it really is delicious.  I’m just crazy depressed that our area doesn’t have ANY Vietnamese style restaurants ... so not only do I miss out on this delicious sandwich, but also my favorite soup -- PHO!  

This style of sandwich is traditionally served on a baguette or french roll, but I decided to make them as a little delicious bite on a crostini. The pickled veggies in this recipe are shredded for easier piling onto the crostini.  It really is the perfect little bite: crunchy bread, hot pork, cold crunchy slaw and creamy, spicy sauce!  Mmmm!!  If you want a big honking sandwich, feel free to put these ingredients on a roll or baguette!

Bahn Mi Bites

1 baguette, sliced into crostini sized pieces and toasted 

Sauce:

1/2 c. mayo

2-3 tbsp Sriracha, or more to taste

juice from 1 lime

Slaw:

2 large carrots, peeled

6 radishes, trimmed

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed

1 jalapeno, minced

1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp sugar

squeeze lime juice

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Pork:

1 lb ground pork

salt and pepper

1/3 c. panko

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 small handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. For the sauce, combine all ingredients and set aside.
2. For the slaw, grate cucumber, carrot and radish on the large side of a box grater, or if your food processor has a grating piece, use it!  Add grated veggies to a bowl with jalapeno and cilantro.  In a small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, sugar, lime juice and sesame oil.  Pour dressing over veggies and set aside.
3. For the pork, combine all ingredients and roll into small 1 inch balls and flatten into patties.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to pan.  Cook pork patties until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Assemble:  Place one pork patty on each crostini piece and pile veggie slaw on top.  Drizzle with Sriracha mayo and serve immediately.