In this dish from my youth, the chicken is marinated and poached before it is battered and fried until crunchy. Poaching the chicken first enables you to deep-fry in less time, yields more tender meat, and mellows the pungency of the garlic. Small pieces of bone-in chicken are traditionally used, but I prefer to fry boneless, skinless thighs for convenience. Rolling the chicken in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) yields a crispy shell that keeps for hours.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes

　　2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed and each cut into 2 or 3 pieces

　　3 cloves garlic, finely minced

　　3/4 teaspoon sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon black pepper

　　Salt

　　

Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup cornstarch

　　1 egg

　　3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water

　　2 cups panko

　　Corn or canola oil for deep-frying

　　1 1/2 cups Sweet-and-Sour Sauce (page 312)

　　

Step 1

In a bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, sugar, and pepper and use your fingers or chopsticks to mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate. (Or, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight; bring to room temperature before poaching.)

　　

Step 2

Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken. When the water returns to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and poach for 1 minute, then drain the chicken into a colander. When cool enough to handle, lightly salt the chicken and set aside.

　　

Step 3

To make the batter, in a shallow bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch. Make a well in the center, add the egg and water to the well, and then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to yield a smooth, thick batter.

　　

Step 4

Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and set next to the stove. Set the chicken, the batter, and a bowl with the panko on the other side of the stove. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a wok or 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. (If you don’t have a thermometer, stand a dry bamboo chopstick in the oil; if small bubbles immediately gather on the surface around the chopstick, the oil is ready.)

　　

Step 5

Fry the chicken in 3 or 4 batches, to maintain the oil temperature and avoid crowding. Dip each piece into the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and then roll it in the panko and lower it into the hot oil. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a skimmer, transfer the chicken to the rack. During frying, use the skimmer to remove any bits of panko from the oil and adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature.

　　

Step 6

Just before serving, slice the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, or keep the pieces whole. Arrange on a platter and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with the sauce for dipping.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.