Thai Fried Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs (1kg) chicken drumsticks, thighs, breasts, or cut-up chicken pieces
6 cloves garlic, peeled and pounded
2 tablespoons cilantro roots , or use the cilantro stems, without leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt, large-grained or kosher salt
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
oil , for deep-frying

Flour mixture:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons rice flour

Directions

Clean the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.

Use a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle to blend the garlic, cilantro roots, and salt until they form a fine paste.

Add the paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and ground black pepper to the chicken, mixing well to combine. Transfer the chicken to a large Ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

When ready, heat a pot of cooking oil or use a deep fryer. While the oil heats up, mix the three types of flour together in a new Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and coat it evenly with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.

Gently drop the chicken into the oil and deep fry until crispy and golden brown, ensuring the inside is fully cooked but remains juicy. Transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Serve the fried chicken immediately with Thai sweet chili sauce.