Here is an easy way to turn a pice of chicken thigh into a sweet, crispy and delicious dish.
In culinary, it's often said that the simplest dish is the most difficult dish to make because there is no room to hide your mistake and imperfection.
Cooking a chicken thigh is no exception. One, you need to find the balance between juicy and crispy. Two, you need to make sure it's cooked to an optimal temperature (74ºC). Finally, it needs to be seasoned well.
Make the Skin Crispy
Let's start with the skin. If the skin is not crispy, then this dish is not what it's supposed to be.
You should be preheating your cooking surface, whether it's a skillet or a grill, to ensure an even cook. Searing the chicken thighs skin-side first over high heat at the beginning can help seal in the juices and create a crispy outer layer.
After the first 1-2 minutes of searing, you should switch to low-heat to avoid burning the surface and slowly sear the chicken with the following distribution of time: 75% skin-side and 25% meat side.
Personally, I like to sear the skin side for 60 seconds. Flip. Then sear the meat side for 15 seconds. Flip and repeat for 4-6 times until the skin looks golden and crispy.
The Sauce
I'm using a combination of honey, sriracha sauce, apple cider, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. For this recipe, I think the 1st priority flavor should be sweetness, followed by spiciness, sourness and saltiness and hence the measurement (see the recipe below).
There is no right way when it comes to mixing the sauce. The only wrong way to make the sauce is making it without a specific intention and hoping for "something good."
Check out the cooking video on YouTube HERE!
★ RECIPE: KHAO MUN GAI
<MAIN INGREDIENTS>
300~500g chicken thigh with skin
1 quarter of onion (garnish)
1 stem of green onion (garnish)
30g olive oil
<CHICKEN DREDGE>
3 tbsp of bread flour or all-purpose flour.
1 tsp of cayenne chili powder
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of black pepper
<CHICKEN SAUCE>
60g – honey
30g – sriracha sauce
30g – apple cider vinegar
10g – light soy sauce
10g – sesame oil
30ml – water
2 cloves of garlic (grated)
<COOKING METHOD>
1. Wash and sliced the broccoli into equal sizes. Leave to soak in a bowl of water and set aside.
2. Mix all ingredients under “chicken sauce” in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix together the ingredient under “chicken dredge” and mix well.
4. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
5. In a medium-size bowl, full coat the chicken with the flour.
6. Now we are ready to cook. In a fry pan, heat up unsalted olive oil under medium heat.
7. Place the chicken thigh skin-side down.
8. Leave to cook for 2 minutes and then flip to the other side and cook for 15 seconds.
9. After this, flip the chicken back to the skin side and cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook the non-skin side for 15 seconds.
10. Repeat step number 9 for approximately 4-6 times or until the crust is golden and crispy.
11. Remove the chicken from the fry pan
12. Add the chicken in the fry pan – cook under low heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce become thick and glossy.
13. Remove the chicken from the fry pan and set aside.
14. Place together the chicken and the garnish in a large plate.
<ADDITIONAL NOTE>
Use low to medium heat when cooking the chicken. If use high heat, the crust could burn and become soggy.
Comments