Shrimp Paste (Prawn Sauce) Fried Chicken Wingettes Mid-Joints Har Cheong Gai 虾酱鸡 | BIG Bites MY

Shrimp Paste (Prawn Sauce) Fried Chicken Wingettes Mid-Joints Har Cheong Gai
Har Cheong, or shrimp paste, is one of my favorite Asian condiments. Har Cheong is made of fermented, finely crushed shrimps. It is a pinky colored pungent and salty paste with multiple usages that can be used to stir-fry vegetables, steamed with pork, and be used as a marinade. My go-to brand for this condiment is Lee Kum Kee's Fine Shrimp Sauce, which can be easily found in most supermarkets. It takes only about 15 minutes to prep the ingredients, and another 15 minutes to deep fry the chicken. SO EASY LAH! The recipe shown here feeds one to two; just double up accordingly if you are cooking for more. These hot and crispy chicken wingettes make nice savory snacks to go with your favorite beer!

Watch video for step-by-step method of preparation

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving: 1 to 2  (increase portions accordingly if you are cooking for more)

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken wingettes / mid wings
• Marinade:
• 1 tablespoon shrimp sauce / shrimp paste
• 1 tablespoon Shao Xing wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Batter:
• 40g all-purpose flour
• 40g potato starch
• 50ml water
• 1/2 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• Enough oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Pierce the chicken wingettes with a skewer to allow the marinade to penetrate better
2. Marinade: 
• Combine white pepper, sugar, Shao Xing wine, sesame oil and shrimp sauce. Stir to combine. 
• Add chicken wingettes and coat them with the marinade
3. Batter:
• Whisk egg and set aside for later
• Combine all-purpose flour, potato starch, baking powder and baking soda and stir to combine
• Add water and half of the beaten egg. Stir to make a smooth batter.
4. Add the batter to the marinade and stir to coat the wingettes. Cover and let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Frying the chicken:
• Remove the marinated wingettes from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
• First Fry:
• Heat oil to fry the wingettes. Test the oil with a wooden chopstick. When bubbles appear at the end of the chopstick, the oil is hot enough to fry the chicken.
• Deep fry the chicken wingettes over MEDIUM LOW heat until light golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan. Flip the wingettes occasionally. 70% cooked; About 5-6 minutes. The bubbles will gradually lessen as the chicken cooks.
• After about 5-6 minutes when the wingettes are light golden brown (70% cooked), remove them and set aside
• Second Fry:
• Heat up the oil again over MEDIUM HIGH heat this time
• Fry the 70% cooked wingettes for a few minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. Do not overcrowd the pan and turn occasionally. The bubbles will gradually lessen as the chicken cooks.
6. Plate up and serve immediately while the chicken is hot. I like to serve them with some cucumber slices or fresh lettuce on the side.

Note:

1. This Har Cheong (shrimp sauce) condiment is pinky and salty. It comes in a bottle and is completely different from the Southeast Asian Shrimp Paste (Belacan), which is dark brown blocks of fermented shrimps.
2. The marinade made in this recipe is enough for half a dozen full chicken wings or half a chicken
3. Double-frying Process:
• First Fry (Lower Temperature - about 160°C):
• Fry the chicken wingettes until they're cooked through but not yet crispy. 
• Remove and let the chicken wingettes rest for about 10-15 minutes
• Second Fry (Higher Temperature - about 190°C):
• After heating up the oil, return the chicken wingettes to the hot oil and fry them until they're golden brown and crispy. The second is fast and intense to crisp up the exterior. The chicken will also be less greasy as the higher heat forces the oil out from the chicken.