You may want to believe that the "Bang Bang" name of this dish is attributed to the heat of the sauce. Don't believe it. The "Bang Bang" comes from the ancient Chinese recipe, where a large wooden cudgel was used to beat the chicken meat to tenderize it.
This particular recipe is the Americanized version of Bang Bang Chicken. No need to tenderize the chicken. You can keep your cudgel in the drawer as you are just going to use bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs. This Sam Zien recipe serves four and I always serve this with a big, steaming bowl of sticky rice.
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken
4 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine (substitute = dry sherry)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white
Corn starch for coating
Neutral oil for frying
Diced green onions for garnish
For the Bang Bang Sauce
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (I use Sambal Oelek)
3 tablespoons Sriracha
DIRECTIONS
- Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Combine the three Bang Bang sauce ingredients. Mix thoroughly and then set aside.
- Heat frying oil in a wok to 350º.
- Coat the chicken pieces in the corn starch, shake off any excess, then deep fry 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Do this in batches so you do not overcrowd your wok. When all the chicken is done, get the oil back to 350º and fry chicken once more 45-60 seconds for a final crisping.
- Toss fried chicken with the sauce, a little at a time, until it is coated the way you like it.
- Plate and garnish with green onions.
Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc
