Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 🐔🌿

Indulge in the delightful crunch of these crispy, flavorful bite-size chicken pieces, seasoned with the aromatic Chinese five spice. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

🥗MAIN INGREDIENT
-1 packet of @greenrebel Chick'n Chunks, defrosted
-A handful of basil leaves* (For enhanced fragrance, I recommend using THAI basil)
-1/3 cup sweet potato starch
-Vegetable oil for frying (3-4 inches depth of oil in the pan)

MARINADE
-1 tsp cooking wine
-1/4 tsp white pepper
-1 minced garlic clove

BATTER
-1/3 cup flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp five spice powder
-1/4 tsp white pepper
-1/3-1/2 cup water (more if needed)

SEASONING POWDER
-1 tsp white pepper
-1/3 tsp five spice powder
-1/4 tsp salt🍳Steps:
1. Tear the Chick'n Chunks into bite-size pieces.
2. Add the MARINADE ingredients and mix well. Allow it to marinate for approximately an hour.
3. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the BATTER. Gradually add water until a thick batter is formed.
4. Prepare the sweet potato starch in a shallow dish. Dip each Chick'n Chunk into the batter, then coat it evenly with sweet potato starch. Gently shake off any excess starch.
5. Allow the coated Chick'n Chunks to sit for 5-10 minutes, allowing the starch to absorb the moisture from the batter. This step ensures that the popcorn chicken turns out wonderfully crunchy.
6. Mix the SEASONING POWDER ingredients together and set aside.
7. Pat dry the basil leaves to prevent oil splatters. Add them to cold oil and fry over low heat until crispy. Drain off any excess oil and set the fried basil leaves aside.
8. Preheat the oil to 170-180°C (or check the temperature using wooden chopsticks. Dip them into the oil, and if they bubble immediately, it's ready). Fry the Chick'n Chunks in batches until they turn a pale golden brown. Remove them from the oil.
9. Once the first batch is done, fry the Chick'n Chunks for a second time until they achieve a golden brown color.
10. Place the fried Chick'n Chunks on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drain off.
11. Toss the popcorn chicken in the seasoning powder, ensuring they are evenly coated.
12. Finally, serve the popcorn chicken alongside the fried basil leaves. Enjoy!

*Note: I ran out of Thai basil, so I used sweet basil as a substitution. However, the flavor wasn't as ideal. I highly recommend using Thai basil leaves for the best results.