What do you get when you combine fried chicken and Thai curry, two of my all-time favourite dishes? Answer: fried chicken that’s given a Thai red curry kick thanks to a flavour-rich marinade. Crunchy, crispy, spicy and fragrant, one piece is never enough. The best part? It uses my brand new Marion’s Kitchen Thai Red Curry Paste!
½ jar (about ¼ cup) Marion’s Kitchen Thai Red Curry Paste
200ml (7 fl oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
8 chicken pieces (I like drumsticks and bone-in thighs the best)
1½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
½ cup cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sea salt, plus extra to sprinkle
1 tsp garlic powder
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve
sweet chilli sauce, to serve
In a large bowl, whisk together the Thai red curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce. Score the chicken pieces 2-3 times before adding to the paste mixture. Cover and set aside for 2 hours or overnight if possible.
To make the chicken coating, place the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Pick up one piece of chicken and allow excess red curry marinade to drip off. Place the chicken into the flour mixture and toss to coat, pressing flour firmly onto the chicken. Transfer to a tray, then repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Fill a wok or deep frying pan one-third full with oil. Heat the oil to 165°C (325°C) or until bubbles form when you dip a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. Add chicken pieces (do this in batches if necessary) and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning the chicken every so often, or until cooked through. Transfer chicken pieces to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet to drain. Season with extra salt. Serve topped with coriander leaves and sweet chilli sauce on the side for dipping.
Flavour flavour flavour