Juicy Deep-Fried Prawn Paste Chicken (Har Cheong Gai) Recipe

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the 1.2 kg chicken mid-wings and drumlets and remove any remaining feather fragments. Pat dry with clean paper towels, keeping the raw chicken and its utensils separate from the serving dish and garnish.

   Uses 1.2 kg chicken mid-wings and drumlets

2. 2

   Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the 6 tbsp plain flour, 4 tbsp potato flour, 3 tbsp rice flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp sugar, 4 tbsp prawn paste, 2 tsp light soy sauce, one egg, dash of pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp Chinese wine and 50 ml water. Add the chicken from step 1 and mix until every piece is evenly coated.

   Uses Pat-dried chicken pieces · 6 tbsp Plain Flour · 4 tbsp Potato Flour · 3 tbsp Rice Flour · 1 tsp Baking Powder · 2 tsp Sugar · 4 tbsp Shrimp Paste · 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce

3. 3

   Step 3: Cover the marinated chicken bowl from step 2 and refrigerate at 4°C or below for the first 2 hours of the selected 4-hour marinade.

   Halfway marinade stir · 120 minUses Coated raw chicken and marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Stir the chicken and marinade from step 3, cover again and return to the refrigerator for a further 2 hours, completing 4 hours in total. Keep the bowl chilled until a working frying batch is needed.

   Finish cold chicken marinade · 120 minUses Refrigerated marinated chicken bowl

5. 5

   Step 5: Put the 250 ml frying oil in a suitable stable high-sided wok or pan that provides frying depth for very small batches and ample headroom. Prepare a paper-lined draining plate and clean serving utensils before heating. Heat the oil until hot but not smoking, with a little coating sizzling promptly when tested.

   Uses 250 ml oil, for the shared frying bath

6. 6

   Step 6: Stir the chilled chicken mixture from step 4. Take only a small working batch, shake off excess coating over its bowl and lower the pieces carefully into the hot oil from step 5. Keep the remaining raw chicken refrigerated. Leave space around each piece and do not overcrowd the pan.

   Uses Small first batch from the chilled marinated chicken, with remaining pieces reserved · Hot frying-oil bath

7. 7

   Step 7: After a few minutes of initial frying, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking the chicken in the oil from step 6, turning as needed for even color. Fry until golden and cooked through, checking that the thickest meat reaches at least 74°C without touching bone. Continue at controlled heat if needed; color alone does not establish doneness.

   Uses Chicken batch in frying oil

8. 8

   Step 8: Lift the fully cooked chicken from step 7 onto the draining plate, leaving the oil in the pan. Bring that same oil back to a hot non-smoking state and repeat steps 6–7 with the remaining chilled chicken, in small batches, until every piece is fully cooked to at least 74°C. Collect the cooked pieces on a clean plate and discard the leftover raw marinade.

   Uses Chicken lifted from the oil after reaching at least 74°C · Oil left in the pan for subsequent batches · Remaining chilled chicken and its coating for subsequent batches

9. 9

   Step 9: Once all chicken has completed the first fry, let the drained cooked pieces from step 8 rest for about 2–3 minutes before crisping them again.

   Rest first-fried chicken · 2 minUses Cooked chicken on the clean draining plate, separate from the retained frying oil

10. 10

    Step 10: Heat the retained frying oil from step 8 until hot but not smoking. Return a small batch of rested cooked chicken from step 9 to the oil and fry for about 2 minutes, watching closely and adjusting the heat so the coating crisps without burning.

    Crisp one cooked chicken batch · 2 minUses The same frying bath retained after all first-fry batches · Small working batch from the rested cooked chicken

11. 11

    Step 11: Lift the crisped batch from step 10 onto fresh kitchen paper to drain, leaving the oil in the pan. Repeat step 10 and this draining step with the remaining first-fried chicken from step 9, always in small batches and using the same frying bath. Collect all the twice-fried pieces for serving.

    Uses Crisped chicken lifted from the oil · Oil remaining in the pan for the repeated second-fry batches · Rested cooked pieces still waiting for the second fry

12. 12

    Step 12: Arrange the drained twice-fried chicken from step 11 on the serving dish. Garnish with some of the clean parsley and serve hot, offering ready Thai chilli sauce alongside if desired.

    Uses Drained finished chicken only, excluding the retained frying oil · Some clean parsley from the bundle, for garnish · Ready Thai chilli sauce, for serving if desired