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?!