House of Nanking's World Famous Sesame Chicken

Sesake chicken with sweet potatoes

House of Nanking's World Famous Sesame Chicken

This is a guess at the so-called World Famous Sesame Chicken from The House of Nanking in San Francisco. We try to go there every time we visit San Francisco

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1 lb (450g) chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1.5 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp sweet potato starch (plus 1 cup for coating)
  • Oil, for deep frying

For the Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

For the Vegetables and Garnish:

  • 1 medium sweet potato, cut into thin strips or cubes
  • 1 cup chayote, sliced (or substitute with broccoli or snap peas)
  • Diced scallions for garnish

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken and Vegetables:

  • Marinate the Chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, mix the chicken with garlic, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, baking soda, and egg white. Add 1/2 tablespoon of sweet potato starch and mix well. Let it marinate for about 40 minutes.
  • Coat the Chicken: After marinating, coat the chicken pieces with sweet potato starch. Shake off any excess starch and let them rest for 15 minutes before frying.
  • Prepare Sweet Potatoes: While the chicken is marinating, heat oil in a separate pan and fry the sweet potato strips until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
  • Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a deep pan to 380°F (193°C). Fry the chicken in batches for about 4 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and let rest for 15 minutes. For extra crunchiness, double fry each batch for an additional 3 minutes until golden brown.

Making the Sauce:

  • In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, water, rice vinegar, and cornstarch mixture. Whisk until smooth.
  • Pour this sauce into a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens.
  • Add the fried chicken back into the wok along with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Toss everything together until well coated in the sauce.

Adding Vegetables and Serving:

  • In the last few minutes of cooking, add sliced chayote to the wok to lightly steam it while mixing with the chicken and sauce.
  • Serve hot over white rice, topped with crispy sweet potatoes and garnished with diced scallions.

Notes

  • You should be able to cook the chicken in an air fryer
  • I would cook the sweet potatoes in the oven, especially for larger groups
  • Maybe buy some pre-made coated chicken nuggets that can be baked instead of fried?!