Har Cheong Gai | Shrimp Paste Chicken

Name: Har Cheong Gai | Shrimp Paste Chicken
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4.5 TBSP Granulated Sugar,; 3 TBSP Lee Kum Kee's Shrimp Paste,; 3/4 Cup Tapioca Starch,; 3 TBSP Rice Flour,; 3 TBSP Shao Xing / Hua Diao Wine,; 3 TBSP Oyster Sauce,; 3 TBSP Light Soy Sauce,; 3 Egg Lightly Beaten,; Pinch Sea Salt,; Canola / Peanut / Vegetable Oil, For Frying; Pinch White Pepper,; 1/4 Cup Lee Kum Kee's Plum Sauce,; 1/4 Cup Lao Gan Ma's Chili Crisp,; Pinch Dried Mushroom Powder,; 1 kg Chicken Flats,

Daniel Lim @fatdoughsg

Singapore

I had made a Har Cheong Gai burger in the past be4 and I also made a large batch of this fried chicken for an event in November. So I thought why not make it again to share with you lovely people. This makes a perfect New Year party snack, well, When America is famous for its hot wings or buffalo wings, Singapore is famous for our Har Cheong Gai. Think I'd quoted that be4.

If you heard about the history of this fried chicken be4, then pls skip this part. Chef Loh Mun Hon (who had passed on 2009) is one of the members who put the famous Singapore Hong Kong Street Chun Kee on the map. Har Cheong Gai is Cantonese for Shrimp Paste Chicken. It is rumored that Chef Loh is one of the co-founders of this famous dish; he not only co-founded this dish, but he also perfected it. Rumors even have it that Chef Loh made his own shrimp paste. But Lee Kum Kee's is pretty close, I should say.

I also made a simple dipping sauce on the side too. It is a "genius" combination of plum sauce and chili crisp; it has that sour, sweet and spicy flavor profile. I really hope you will give this Singapore's style of fried chicken a try. Here I wish all of you lovely people a very Happy 2020!

Daniel Lim @fatdoughsg

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Ingredients

4.5 TBSPGranulated Sugar,
3 TBSPLee Kum Kee's Shrimp Paste,
3/4 CupTapioca Starch,
3 TBSPRice Flour,
3 TBSPShao Xing / Hua Diao Wine,
3 TBSPOyster Sauce,
3 TBSPLight Soy Sauce,
3Egg Lightly Beaten,
PinchSea Salt,
Canola / Peanut / Vegetable Oil, For Frying
PinchWhite Pepper,
1/4 CupLee Kum Kee's Plum Sauce,
1/4 CupLao Gan Ma's Chili Crisp,
PinchDried Mushroom Powder,
1 kgChicken Flats,

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Steps

1

In a large bowl, add sugar, shrimp paste, tapioca starch, rice flour, Shao Xing wine, oyster sauce and soy sauce.
Stir to combine well and until smooth, making sure no large lumps.
Add in eggs, salt, pepper and mushroom powder.
Whisk until well combined.
2

Add in the chicken flats.
Toss and coat the chicken well with the batter.
Make sure the chicken is fully submerged in the batter.
3

Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Prepare a dutch oven with 2 inches of oil over medium heat.
*To check the temperature of the oil, insert a wooden chopstick. If bubbles start to form around the chopstick, the temperature of the oil is ready for frying.*
4

Using a pair of tongs, gently drop the chicken into the oil away from you.
*Do not discard the marinade.*
Spoon some of the marinade over the chicken to create a crispy skirt.
Deep fried until golden brown on both sides.
5

Remove from heat and drain off excess oil on a wire cooling rack or on a plate lined with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix plum sauce and Lao Gan Ma's chili crisp well. This will be the dipping sauce.
Serve the chicken immediately with the dipping sauce.