Preparation

• In a large bowl or airtight container, combine the chicken and marinade ingredients – chicken, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, mirin, & black pepper. Massage the marinade into the chicken until it’s fully absorbed. Cover & marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Keep the chicken cold in the fridge until dredge is ready.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients – soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, honey, water, rice vinegar, & sesame oil. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, prep the dredge by combining potato starch, garlic powder, baking powder, onion powder, & black pepper. Drizzle in water then use your fingers to mix and create crumbles in the starch.
• To the marinated chicken, mix in egg and all-purpose flour until just combined. Add a few pieces of chicken to the dry dredge, pressing or scrunching the dredge & its crumbles into the chicken so it really sticks. Repeat for remaining chicken & let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes while preheating your frying oil.
• In a wok, heat enough oil to deep fry on medium-high heat. You’ll know it’s hot enough if you stick a wooden chopstick or spoon in the oil & it starts to sizzle. Add chicken in the oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Gently stir the chicken so they don’t get stuck together while cooking. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and oil is producing small bubbles instead of large violent bubbles. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Repeat for remaining chicken then rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Allow oil to re-heat up to medium-high, then once hot, add chicken back in batches. Again, don’t overcrowd otherwise your chicken won’t get to maximum crispiness! Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until a slightly darker brown & only small bubbles are showing in the oil. Remove, drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
• Heat a cleaned wok or large skillet on medium heat with about a tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and ginger & cook for a few seconds, just until they soften and become fragrant – keep a close eye so they don’t burn. Pour in the sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until it turns into a thick sticky glaze. If it’s thickened too much or turned too salty, you can add a splash of water. When tasting, be VERY careful because the sugars make the sauce molten hot. Once the glaze is your desired consistency, turn off the heat & combine with chicken until fully coated. It may look like it’s not enough, but keep tossing! Remove & garnish with toasted sesame seeds if you’re feeling fancy. Enjoy!