Ingredients

• Chicken & marinade:
  • 2 chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic (grated)
  • 1 inch knob of ginger (grated)
  • pinch of salt
• Dredge:
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 egg whites (beaten)
• Sauce:
  • ⅓ cup chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 inch knob of ginger (minced)
  • 3 thai chili peppers (diced)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp of msg
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 5 dried chili peppers
  • 1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1½ tbsp vinegar

Instructions

1. Skin and debone chicken. Slice into bite-size pieces and marinate for at least 45 minutes.
   • Optimally overnight.
2. Put chicken in a 1:2 mix of cornstarch and flour, reserving the marinade. Toss until covered.
3. In bowl containing leftover marinade, add 2 egg whites and beat until egg whites are broken.
4. Remove chicken, shake of flour/cornstarch and put in egg whites. Toss untill covered.
   • At this point you’ll end up with a solid mass of chicken and sloppy cornstarch-flour slurry.
5. Remove chicken and put back in the cornstarch-flour mix. Toss until covered.
   • Here the chicken gets stuck together. The more you mix the chicken the more likely it will naturally break apart back into the original bite-size pieces.
6. Deep fry chicken at 375°F for 3 minutes or until light golden-brown.
7. Remove from fryer and add salt while still freshly fried.
8. Mix cornstarch and white vinegar to make a slurry. Set aside.
9. Mix chicken stock, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in bowl. Set aside.
10. Add oil to wok or large pan on medium heat.
11. Add garlic, ginger, and thai chilies. Sautee for around a minute or whenever they’re cooked.
12. Increase heat to medium-high.
13. Add sugar, msg, chili flakes, and dried chilies. Cook until sugar melts.
14. Add chinkiang vinegar, mix and simmer for 10 seconds.
15. Add chicken stock mixture.
16. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.¹
17. Stream in cornstarch slurry.
18. Add chicken. Toss until fully covered.
19. Serve.