Given that I’m not allowed to direct people to my blog, here’s the recipe. It’s not very pretty, sorry, I copied it directly from the blog site and had to add in spaces, returns, and the like. If anything’s not clear, please don’t hesitate to ask.
2 large boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, or a combination, fat trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces. To ensure even cooking, keep the bites as uniform in size as possible. Don't obsess and start weighing the pieces though!
Equal parts:
Soy sauce
Sake or dry sherry
Mirin
Optional:
Grated garlic
Grated ginger
Grated onion
Spicy “oriental” mustard
Sriracha or other hot sauce
Potato starch or corn starch for dredging. I recommend potato starch.
Peanut, canola, or other neutral, high smoke-point oil for frying.
Method
Drying the marinated chicken pieces well, and waiting to dredge them until you’re ready to drop them in the oil is crucial! Dredging the chicken and letting it sit will cause the potato starch to clump and get gummy. Not yummy!
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, the sake or sherry, the mirin, and any of the optional additions you choose to use.
Place the chicken pieces in a plastic zipper bag.
Pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken.
Press the air out of the bag and seal.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.
Drain the chicken, discard the marinade, and arrange the pieces on two layers of paper towel.
Cover with two more sheets and lightly press to dry well.
Place the chicken in the fridge until ready to fry.
Place a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet and line with paper towels.
Heat 2” of oil in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F.
Put the chicken pieces in a small bowl and sprinkle with potato starch.
Lightly mix with hands until all pieces are coated.
One piece at a time, remove the chicken from the starch, shake off the excess and place in the hot oil.
Do not crowd. Depending on the size of your pan and the amount of chicken you’re frying, you may need to do this in batches.
Fry, turning the pieces often with a spider or pair of tongs, until the pieces are golden and the internal temp is 185°F for the thigh meat and 165°F for the breast meat.
Remove the chicken pieces to the paper towel-lined cooling rack
To serve, arrange the chicken bites on a platter over lettuce. Garnish with chopped hot peppers and a squirt of Japanese Kewpie mayo. I like to slice pickled hot chilis, dredge them in the potato starch and give ‘em a quick fry. Or serve with dipping sauces; spicy mayo mix, Thai sweet chili sauce, ranch or bleu cheese dressing and a small shallow dish filled with a salt/pepper mixture. That's actually my favorite; I love salt and the black pepper really adds some zing and brings out the flavors of the marinade. Or drizzle the pieces with salsa, cover with shredded cheese, and place in the oven until the cheese is melted. The sky’s the limit, folks! You could even make these part of a taco bar!
