Thai-Kun–Inspired Crispy Chicken with Chili Dipping Sauce
Garlic–white-pepper thighs, a light rice-flour crust, cool cucumber and a loose sweet-hot chili dip.
Method
Prepare the cold components; marinate the thighs
Wash hands. Rinse the cucumber, cilantro and whole lime under running water; slice the cucumber with clean tools, cover and refrigerate. Do not wash raw chicken. On a raw-only board, pat thighs dry, unfold them and gently even thick areas to about ½ inch between disposable sheets. Mix the 5 grated garlic cloves, cilantro stems, 1½ tbsp fish sauce, soy sauce, granulated sugar, white pepper and 2 tbsp cold water. Rub over the chicken in a covered food-safe container and refrigerate for 30 minutes at 40°F or below. Wash hands; clean and sanitize raw-contact tools and surfaces. Keep the sauce and ready-to-eat food completely separate.
Make the loose dipping sauce during marination
In a clean small saucepan combine the dark brown sugar, rice vinegar, 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp crushed chili. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir for 3–4 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and flavors combine; do not reduce to a glaze. Remove from the heat and stir in all the lime juice. Taste with a clean spoon; add up to 1 tsp more chili if wanted. Keep covered and away from the raw-chicken station. This is a loose dipping sauce, served separately, not a coating for the chicken.
Heat the oil; mix the batter just before frying
During marination, put the heavy pot on a stable burner. Add oil to about 1½ inches deep, but never above one-third of the pot; use less than the estimated volume if necessary. Heat to 350°F using a frying thermometer. Have a metal lid nearby, dry heatproof frying tools, a clean rack over a tray and separate clean cooked-food tongs ready. Whisk rice flour, cornstarch and baking powder with ¾ cup ice-cold water to a thin cream-like batter. If it thickens as it stands, stir in the optional water 1 tbsp at a time, up to 2 tbsp, away from the hot oil. Never pour water into the oil.
Fry in small batches all the way to 165°F
Take out only the next batch of raw chicken; leave the rest refrigerated. Lift 1–2 whole fillets from the marinade, let excess drip off, dip in batter and let excess run off. Lower gently away from you into the oil without crowding. Fry at about 350°F, turning carefully halfway, and begin checking around 7 minutes; 7–9 minutes is only a guide for ½-inch fillets. With a frying tool, support each fillet out of the oil over a separate heatproof checking tray; insert a thin-tip instant-read probe sideways into several thick centers of every fillet. Return under-165°F pieces immediately to the oil and clean the probe after each under-temperature check before rechecking. Cook every piece to at least 165°F before transferring it with clean tongs to the clean rack; the checking tray is not the cooked-food rack. Restore the oil to 350°F between batches; expect about four batches, or more if needed for space. Fully cook each batch in one continuous fry: never refrigerate partially cooked chicken. Discard used marinade and raw-contact batter.
Rest briefly, slice and serve unglazed
Drain fully cooked chicken on the clean rack, resting the final batch about 3 minutes. Earlier fully cooked batches can rest on the rack while the remaining batches cook; serve promptly. Slice with a clean knife on a clean board. Serve with the cucumber, one cup cooked jasmine rice per person and the dipping sauce alongside. Cook rice close to the end of frying, or verify it stays at 140°F or above while holding; a rice cooker’s warm setting alone is not proof. Keep sauce off the crust until dipping.