Thai Fried Chicken

Recipe by Connie Veneracion

Salty, spicy and highly aromatic, this Thai fried chicken has crackling-like skin and succulent meat. There is heat from the chilies, ginger and garlic, citrusy aroma and flavor from lemongrass, warm and nutty tones of cilantro and the richness of fish and soy sauces.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Marinating 12

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Servings people

Chiang Mai-style fried chicken over rice

Print Recipe

Ingredients

12 large chicken drumsticks

For the marinade

6 cloves garlic peeled
1 two-inch knob ginger peeled
2 stalks lemongrass cut three inch lengths from the root end
8 stalks cilantro stem and root end only; reserve the leafy portion for garnish
2 bird's eye chilies
¼ cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (Thai soy sauce was used in this recipe)
½ teaspoon sugar

To cook the chicken

½ cup rice flour
cooking oil for deep frying

Instructions

Pat the chicken drumsticks dry and place in a mixing bowl.
With a mortar and pestle (or a food processor), grind the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilies and cilantro to form a paste. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar.
Pour the spice paste over the chicken. Mix well. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate overnight.
In a wok or frying pan, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches.
Dredge each chicken drumstick in rice flour; shake off the excess.
Over medium heat, fry the chicken drumsticks for six to eight minutes, depending on their size. Do this in batches if your pan is not large enough to accommodate all pieces in a single layer. Rest the chicken on a rack for about five minutes. Don't worry if they appear pale at this stage.
Turn up the heat to high. Fry the chicken drumsticks a second time, for two to three minutes, until the skin is crisp and nicely browned.
Serve the Thai-style fried chicken with rice, sprinkle with fried shallots and snipped cilantro leaves.

Notes

What inspired this fried chicken? The fried chicken wings at a small restaurant in Chiang Mai. I can't recall the restaurant's name. Chances are we didn't really know its name because business signages in Chiang Mai don't always come with English translations. I only remember that we went there because we liked what we saw on the sample menu by the front door.

Chiang Mai fried chicken wings and dragon eggs — Fried chicken wings and dragon eggs in Chiang Mai

We had fried chicken wings (the specialty), a small bowl of noodles, a mixed pork dish and dragon eggs. The noodles and pork dish were good but it was the chicken wings and dragon eggs that were truly unforgettable.