Spice Bag Recipe
This is Ireland’s answer to loaded fries: crispy chicken, double-fried chips, and stir-fried peppers and onions all tossed in a potent Chinese five-spice blend. This is a project, but the key techniques – double-frying the potatoes for a shatteringly crisp texture and using a wet batter for the chicken are what make it worth doing right.
Ingredients
For the Spice Blend
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
For the Curry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
For the Main
- 2 large Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick fries
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Neutral oil (like canola or peanut), for frying
Make the Spice Blend and Curry Sauce
First, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the spice blend.
Next, make the curry sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, ~3-4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in the chicken broth and coconut milk, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, ~5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
Double-Fry the Chips
Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for ~5-7 minutes, until they are just tender but not falling apart. Drain them carefully and let them steam dry on a wire rack.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot to 300F. Fry the parboiled potatoes in batches for ~4-5 minutes. They should be cooked through but still pale. Remove them to a wire rack to drain.
Prepare and Fry the Chicken
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Add the chicken strips, 1 tablespoon of the spice blend, and the cornstarch. Mix with your hands until the chicken is coated in a thick, sticky batter.
Increase the oil temperature to 350F. Carefully add the battered chicken to the hot oil in a single layer, working in batches. Fry for ~4-5 minutes, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through to 165F. Transfer to a wire rack and immediately sprinkle with some of the spice blend.
Finish the Chips and Assemble
Increase the oil temperature to 375F. Fry the pale chips for a second time, again in batches, for ~2-3 minutes, until they are deep golden brown and very crispy. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and immediately toss with a generous amount of the spice blend.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of clean oil over high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onions and stir-fry for ~2-3 minutes, until tender-crisp. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
Add the fried chicken and crispy chips to the skillet with the vegetables. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of the spice blend and toss everything together vigorously.
Serve immediately, with the warm curry sauce on the side for dipping.
Spice Bag
Ingredients
For the Spice Blend
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- For the Curry Sauce
For the Curry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
For the Main
- 2 large Russet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch thick fries
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- Neutral oil like canola or peanut, for frying
Method
- Mix spice blend: salt, five-spice, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, cayenne, white pepper.
- Make curry sauce: Sauté shallot 3-4 min. Add curry powder, flour, cook 1 min. Whisk in broth and coconut milk. Simmer until thick, 5 min.
- Boil potato fries 5-7 min until tender. Drain and dry.
- First fry: 300°F, 4-5 min until pale. Drain on rack.
- Mix chicken strips with egg, spice blend, cornstarch until coated.
- Fry chicken at 350°F, 4-5 min until golden. Season with spice blend.
- Second fry potatoes at 375°F, 2-3 min until crispy. Toss with spice blend.
- Stir-fry peppers and onions 2-3 min. Add ginger, garlic, cook 30 sec.
- Combine chicken, chips, vegetables. Toss with spice blend.
- Serve with curry sauce.
