Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Glue Chicken) (I)
Rabu, 02 Desember 2020
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There're many types of fermented prawn paste. I could olfactory holding this ane in ane trial the bottle was open.
OMG, this is rigid stuff!
It wasn't belachan, which is quite harmless until it's toasted or fried.
Nor was it Penang hae ko, which is absolutely benign because it has lots of sugar.
What I had was har cheong, a liquid prawn glue made inwards Hong Kong. It was a real appetizing gray – oh yum! – in addition to the label on the bottle said, in addition to hence reassuringly, "Cooked [sic] Before Eating".
Thanks for the warning! You bet I will!
Your kickoff whiff of har cheong mightiness construct yous mean value of rotting rats, or a mortuary amongst no ability supply. But in ane trial yous receive got a deep breath – hold upward brave! – you'll larn the aroma that explains why fermented prawn glue is cherished inwards Singapore, Malaysia, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, in addition to or in addition to hence parts of China.
The kickoff fourth dimension I made har cheong gai was several years agone amongst a recipe from Lee Kum Kee. Marinated amongst only har cheong in addition to a wee fleck of sugar, the chicken was agency besides salty. After the flop, the bottle of LKK Fine Shrimp Sauce sat untouched inwards the refrigerator for a few years! It was eventually binned when I moved house.
Today, I made or in addition to hence other stab at HCG. Giving LKK a broad berth, I armed myself amongst a dissimilar construct of har cheong that's far superior.
I also had a dissimilar recipe. The massively salty har cheong was tamed amongst agency to a greater extent than carbohydrate than my kickoff attempt. There's also a expert total of water, in addition to a fleck of oyster sauce. The kickoff recipe didn't receive got these at all.
Today's HCG was a huge success. There wasn't a unmarried slice of chicken left.
If there's a favourite fried chicken inwards Singapore, my justice is it's HCG, non KFC.
How to construct har cheong gai (虾酱鸡)
Step-by-step guide
The most of import component for prawn glue chicken is – other than prawn glue in addition to chicken – water. Tapioca starch is also crucial. That's what Hong Kong Street Zhen Ji uses for its real pop har cheong gai. It's agency meliorate than cornflour.
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp har cheong (虾酱, fermented prawn paste)
- 2 chicken legs, nearly 400 g – wash, drain, chop chunky
- ¼ loving cup tapioca starch
- vegetable stone oil for deep-frying
- Add sugar, oyster sauce, H2O in addition to har cheong to chicken. Stir thoroughly. Marinate 3-4 hours, turning over in ane trial mid-way.
- Bring chicken to room temperature. Shake off excess marinade from chicken. Dredge inwards tapioca starch till thinly coated. Pat lightly to larn rid of excess starch.
- Deep-fry chicken inwards moderately hot stone oil over medium oestrus till cooked through in addition to lightly golden brown. Remove chicken to a sieve. Increase oestrus to high. Heat stone oil till only smoking. Refry chicken till golden brown. Drain inwards a sieve lined amongst newspaper towels. Serve immediately.