VIETNAMESE FRIED CHICKEN

Vietnamese Fried Chicken image

Lemongrass, garlic, and ginger infuse this juicy and delicious Vietnamese fried chicken prepared with a wet batter for a light and crisp exterior!

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

¼ cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1 small stalk lemongrass (upper pale yellow part only), finely minced (about a scant tablespoon)
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 pounds chicken wing pieces (drumettes and wings)
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Chili garlic sauce, for dipping (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 ¾ cups cold water

Steps:

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce with the remaining ingredients up to and including the grated ginger until well combined; place the chicken pieces into a large ziplock bag, and pour the marinade mixture over top, squishing things around to incorporate, and zip closed; marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
When you're ready to fry the chicken, fill a medium-size pot or cast-iron skillet with about 3-4 cups of oil (enough to submerge the chicken in), and slowly begin heating it until it reaches 365°.
Preheat your oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with foil and a wire rack, if you have one.
Drain the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off.
Make your batter by whisking together the flour with the remaining ingredients up to and including the white pepper, then add in the cold water; whisk the batter until it is completely smooth, and has the consistency similar to a pancake batter.
Once your oil is at temp, add about half or a third of your chicken pieces into the batter, allowing each piece to drip off any excess batter before adding the chicken to the hot oil; fry the chicken for about 10 minutes, or until a deep golden-brown, then lift out of the oil and place onto the wire rack over the baking sheet to hold; repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Once all the chicken is fried, place the baking sheet with the fried chicken into the oven to give it a finishing "crisping up", for about 10 minutes.
Place onto a platter, garnish with cilantro, and serve with chili garlic sauce to dip, if desired!