Recipe: My Signature Fried Chicken.

I said to myself a few days ago, “Why not marinate the chicken in Vietnamese coffee, Thai fish sauce and Filipino lime juice?”

It’s a crazy idea, I know. But everything starts with an idea. And I was very determined to turn that idea into reality, so that I can share it with you, my dear friends/followers/readers.

And yes, this dish went through several revisions in just a few days (you can just imagine what went through in my tiny kitchen). Today is a happy day because I am finally sharing with you the official recipe of my signature fried chicken.

Bonus: I have also included an FAQ section below to address issues on ingredient availability and alternatives.

Tiparos Fish Sauce and Pantai Brand Light Soy Sauce

Galangal and cilantro roots.

Phin and Mortar and Pestle

Ingredients.

Fresh Thai Basil.

Galangal and cilantro roots.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

10 buffalo chicken wings
5 tbsp brewed Vietnamese coffee
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp light soy sauce (Pantai brand)
3 tbsp fish sauce (Tiparos brand)
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp chili powder
Cilantro roots
5 slices of fresh galangal
5 tbsp calamansi (Philippine Lime) juice

For the dipping sauce

5 Thai chilis
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
3 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce (Tiparos)
5 tbsp calamansi (Philippine lime) juice
2 tbsp brewed Vietnamese coffee

Garnish:

Thai Basil

Tools:

Phin (Vietnamese coffee filter)
Plastic bag for marinating
Pan or wok
Granite mortar and pestle

Vietnamese coffee preparation:

Put 2 tablespoonss of Vietnamese Robusta or Culi ground beans (the brand I am using is Phuc Long) into the Phin (Vietnamese coffee filter). Brew by pouring hot water allowing it to drip for a few minutes. (In order to make the coffee taste even better, here’s an old Vietnamese trick: Fill up about 1/8th of the filter with hot water first and wait for 30 seconds before completely filling it up all the way to the top. This way, the coffee beans will have a chance to blossom first.)

The Marinade:

To ensure even distribution of the marinade, it is recommended that you use a plastic bag big enough for 10 chicken wings.

In a mortar and pestle pound the cilantro roots and galangal then combine with sugar, fish sauce, light soy sauce, salt, chili powder, lime juice and Vietnamese coffee into a bowl to create the marinade then pour into the bag with the chicken and seal. Ensure coverage of the marinade by gently squeezing the bag, then let it sit for an hour.

To make the dipping paste:

Using a granite mortar and pestle, pound the galangal slices until it becomes pasty in consistency. Add the Thai chili peppers into the mortar and repeat the process. Then pound the garlic and shallots and add the soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tbsp brewed Vietnamese coffee and lime juice.

Let’s cook:

Add an obscene amount of vegetable oil into your wok and set the heat to high. Add the chicken and deep fry until it’s dark brown in color.

Remove chicken from the wok and transfer to a plate and immediately garnish with fresh Thai basil to infuse its aroma.

Serve with jasmine rice and dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

FAQs:

1) Can I use ginger instead of galangal? No, you can’t. When it comes to flavor and sensation, ginger and galangal are polar opposites. If you can’t find galangal, you may opt to not use it instead.

2) What if I can’t find Calamansi (Philippine lime)? You can use regular lime as a substitute. No sweat.

3) Can I use Chinese soy sauce instead of Thai soy sauce? Well, I strongly recommend you use Thai (light) soy sauce as the flavor is milder than Chinese soy sauce, and quite different too. But if you can’t find Thai soy sauce in your area, use whatever soy sauce you have. Just avoid sweet soy sauce for this recipe.

4) Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? Well, this is an Asian dish so olive oil might not be the best substitute.

5) I can’t find cilantro roots in my area. What do I do? I know, right? Not to worry because if you can’t find cilantro roots, you may use cilantro stems instead.

6) I don’t have a granite mortar and pestle. What do I use instead? Use a food processor. Personally, I use a mortar and pestle because there’s a unique soulfulness to pounding your ingredients manually that food processors don’t let you experience.