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Honey Garlic Chicken

Cornstarch-fried chicken thigh, tossed in a honey, soy and garlic sauce built in the frying pan.

2 chicken thighs, cutinto 1 in chunkssalt, pepper, and 1tbsp oil2-3 tbsp corn starchtossuntilfullycoated1/2 in of oil in a panfry untilgolden and165°Finternallydrainon awirerack3 tbsp honey2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp mirin4 cloves garlic1/2 tsp pepper flakesa splash of water, tokeep it from burningmix untilcombined,then setasidea knob of buttermelt inthe fryingpan, pourin thesauce, andscrape upthe fondtosstocoat,thenserve
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Recipe source 
CHICKEN: 2 chicken thighs, cut into 1 in chunks
SEASON: salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp oil
STARCH: 2-3 tbsp corn starch
COATED: toss until fully coated CHICKEN SEASON STARCH
OIL: 1/2 in of oil in a pan
FRIED: fry until golden and 165°F internally COATED OIL
drain on a wire rack FRIED

HONEY: 3 tbsp honey
SOY: 2 tbsp soy sauce
MIRIN: 1 tbsp mirin
GARLIC: 4 cloves garlic
FLAKES: 1/2 tsp pepper flakes
WATER: a splash of water, to keep it from burning
SAUCE: mix until combined, then set aside HONEY SOY MIRIN GARLIC FLAKES WATER

BUTTER: a knob of butter
GLAZE: melt in the frying pan, pour in the sauce, and scrape up the fond BUTTER SAUCE

toss to coat, then serve FRIED GLAZE

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 chicken thighs, cut into 1 in chunks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2-3 tbsp corn starch
  • Oil for frying, enough for ½ in in the pan

Sauce

  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • ½ tsp pepper flakes (pepitos in the original)
  • A splash of water, to prevent burning
  • Butter, for the pan

Notes

Mix the sauce first. It looks like a step you could leave until the chicken is out of the pan, but it isn't. The sauce goes into a hot, just-drained pan and reduces in well under a minute — there is no window to measure honey into it while it is happening.

The splash of water is burn insurance. Honey in a pan that just held frying oil scorches faster than you expect, and scorched honey is bitter rather than merely dark. The water buys enough margin to get the fond up and the chicken back in.

Corn starch, not flour. Starch gives a thin, brittle shell that stays crisp under a wet glaze; a flour dredge turns to paste. Coat and fry reasonably promptly — starch left sitting on salted chicken draws out moisture and goes gummy.

Drain on a rack. Paper towels trap steam against the underside and undo the crust on the side you cannot see.

Watch the reduction, not the clock. Pull the pan when the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Past that point it goes from glaze to candy, and it will keep tightening on the chicken after it leaves the heat.

165°F is the safe internal temperature. Thighs are forgiving above it, so err on the high side rather than pulling early — a minute more in the oil costs much less than undercooked chicken.