Gai Tod Hat Yai (Southern Thai Fried Chicken with Shallots)
Local name: ไก่ทอดหาดใหญ่
In short: Garlic and white pepper marinated chicken, lightly coated in rice flour, fried until crisp and heaped with golden fried shallots. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 640 kcal
Hat Yai fried chicken is named after the city in southern Thailand where roadside stalls sell it by the piece with sticky rice. The chicken is marinated in a paste of garlic, coriander root, white pepper and fish sauce, then dusted lightly with rice flour so the skin turns crisp and thin instead of thick and bready. A heap of fried shallots goes on top, and sweet chili sauce is the usual dip.
Instructions
- Pound the garlic, coriander roots and peppercorns to a paste. Stir in the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, turmeric and ground coriander. Coat the chicken well, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat 5 cm (2 in) of oil in a deep pot to 150°C (300°F). Fry the shallots for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until pale gold. Lift out onto paper towels, where they will crisp as they cool.
- Mix the rice flour and tapioca starch on a plate. Roll each marinated piece in the mixture and shake off the excess.
- Raise the oil temperature to 170°C (340°F). Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and cooked through (74°C/165°F at the thickest part).
- Drain on a rack for 2 minutes, keeping the oil at 160°C to 170°C (320°F to 340°F) between batches.
- Pile the chicken on a platter, heap the fried shallots on top and serve with sweet chili sauce and sticky rice.
Tips
- A thin dusting of rice flour gives a crisp, light crust. Do not press the coating on, or it turns thick and heavy.
- Fry the chicken in batches. Too many pieces drop the oil temperature and the chicken turns greasy instead of crisp.
Questions and answers
Can I use an air fryer?
Yes. Cook the coated chicken at 180°C (360°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once and spraying with oil. The crust will be thinner than when deep-fried.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but cut it into large pieces and fry for only 8 to 10 minutes. It dries out more easily than dark meat.
Why are my fried shallots bitter?
The oil was too hot or they fried too long. Start in 150°C (300°F) oil and remove them when pale gold, since they keep darkening as they cool.
How long does it take to make Gai Tod Hat Yai (Southern Thai Fried Chicken with Shallots)?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 55 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Gai Tod Hat Yai (Southern Thai Fried Chicken with Shallots)?
About 640 kcal per serving, with 40 g of protein, 18 g of carbohydrates and 40 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 640 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 40 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 1100 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
