Fried chicken with ginger dressing

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 Chicken legs with thighs attached (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon White pepper
2 Green onions
3 Thin slices fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons Rice wine
3 cups Shredded iceberg lettuce
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
⅓ cup Minced green onion, white part only
2 tablespoons Minced pared fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons Minced fresh parsley
1 small Egg white
4 tablespoons Cornstarch
4 cups Vegetable oil

Directions

This one is kinda unusual as it calls for frying up joined legs and thighs then cutting them into one inch bone-in slices after cooking.

This is usually done with whole birds and I don't see why you couldn't use a whole chicken in this recipe. You'll need a Chinese cleaver or a hefty chef's knife for the chopping.

Three of the contributing chefs who created original recipes for the book are Japanese. I understand that Chinese food is the favorite 'gaijin' cuisine in Japan and Chinese places abound. Just an interesting tidbit...

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; rub to coat evenly. Place chicken in non aluminum baking pan. Pound 2 onions and the sliced ginger root lightly with flat side of cleaver; chop coarsely and scatter over chicken. Sprinkle chicken with rice wine. Marinate at room temperature, turning chicken once, for 30 minutes.

2. Arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Refrigerate covered.

3. Mix sugar, vinegar, stock, soy sauce and sesame oil in small saucepan. Stir in minced onion, ginger and parsley.

4. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy and double in volume.

Whisk in 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Reserve batter.

5. Heat wok over high heat for 20 seconds; add vegetable oil and heat to 350F.

6. Meanwhile, drain chicken; discard marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper toweling; dust with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Spread batter on areas of chicken not covered with skin, coating evenly.

7. Fry 2 chicken pieces at a time, turning once, until crispy and cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes. (To test for doneness, pierce thickest part of drumstick to the bone with tip of knife; juices should run clear.) Drain chicken on paper toweling, keep warm in a 200F oven. Repeat, frying remaining 2 chicken pieces.

8. Heat stock mixture over medium heat to simmering. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 minute. Keep dressing hot.

9. Cut warm chicken into ½-inch wide slices; use a meat mallet or hammer to pound cleaver or sturdy chef's knife through bones.

Reassemble chicken slices and place on bed of lettuce. Pour hot dressing over chicken. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

From "Wok Cooking Class Cookbook" by the Editors of Consumers Guide, Beekman House, N.Y, 1983. ISBN 0-517-40269-6 Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; February 5 1993.

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