Brined Soy-Garlic Fried Chicken

Method

1. Cut two slashes down to the bone on the thick side of each drumstick, and split the wings at the joint into flats and drumettes. Dissolve the salt and sugar completely in the water, submerge the chicken and brine in the fridge for 2 hours. Then pat it very dry and leave it on a rack for about 10 minutes so the skin dries.

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken wings and drumsticks 700 gWater (for the brine) 500 mlSalt (for the brine) 15 gSugar (for the brine) 8 g

2. Slice the garlic cloves 2 mm thick. Pour the frying oil into a deep 24 cm pot (no more than a third full), add the garlic while the oil is still cold and heat over medium heat for 7 min. As soon as the slices are pale gold and the bubbling slows, lift them onto paper towels. They keep darkening after they come out, so pull them a touch early. Now the oil is garlic-scented and ready for the chicken.

   Add in this stepWhole garlic cloves (for chips) 5Neutral oil for deep-frying 1½ L

   medium heat

3. In a small 18 cm pan, combine the soy sauce, honey, syrup, minced garlic, ginger, dried chilies (halved), vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce over medium-low heat for 4 min, until it has shrunk by about a third and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and keep warm.

   Add in this stepSoy sauce 2½ tbspHoney 2 tbspRice syrup or corn syrup 1½ tbspMinced garlic 2 tspMinced fresh ginger 1 tspDried red chilies 2Rice vinegar 1 tspWater (for the glaze) 3 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Mix the flour, starch, garlic powder, white pepper and baking powder and set a third aside. Dust the chicken lightly with that third and shake off the excess. Whisk the cold water into the rest to make a thick batter and dip the chicken until evenly coated. The dusting helps the batter cling all the way round the bone.

   Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 3 tbspPotato starch 7 tbspGarlic powder ½ tspWhite pepper 2 pinchBaking powder ½ tspIce-cold water 8 tbsp

5. Bring the oil to 160°C over medium heat (a drop of batter touches the bottom and rises slowly). Lower the chicken in piece by piece, away from you, and fry for 10 min per batch, turning once or twice. Fry this amount in 2 batch(es). When pale golden, stand the pieces on a rack and rest for 5 min; the carry-over heat cooks the meat evenly right to the bone.

   medium heat

6. Turn up to high heat and heat the oil to 190°C. Fry the rested chicken again in the same 2 batch(es), 2 min per batch. The oil can spit hard, so use long tongs and keep your face back from the pot. It is done when the skin is deep brown and firm and the thickest drumstick, pierced next to the bone, runs clear (80°C at the bone).

   high heat

7. Put the chicken in a large bowl, pour in the warm glaze a little at a time and toss by shaking the bowl until thinly coated. For the crispiest finish, brush the glaze on instead. Pile on the garlic chips and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp