Crusty Rice with Crispy Chicken

Ingredients

• 300 g Jasmine rice (Rinse until the water is clear)
• 300 ml Water (For cooking the rice)
• 60 g All‑purpose flour (Base of the coating)
• 40 g Potato or corn starch (To make the coating lighter)
• 1 c. à café Garlic powder
• 1 c. à café Smoked paprika
• 100 g Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (For an ultra‑crispy texture)
• 2 Chicken fillets (About 300 g, cut into strips)
• 2 Eggs (Beaten with a little water)
• 30 ml Water (for the egg mixture)
• 2 c. à soupe Mayonnaise
• 2 c. à soupe Sour cream
• 1 c. à café Rice vinegar
• 1 c. à café Sugar
• 2 c. à soupe Soy sauce
• 2 c. à soupe Sweet‑and‑sour sauce (sweet chili)
• 1 c. à soupe Honey
• 1 c. à café Cornstarch (maïzena) (Dilute in water to thicken the sauce)
• 30 ml Water (for the slurry)
• 1 small Onion (Thinly sliced)
• 2 cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1 cm Fresh ginger (Finely chopped)
• 2 c. à soupe Fresh cilantro (Chopped)
• 1 c. à soupe Chives (Finely chopped)
• 1 c. à café Black sesame (Lightly toasted)
• 2 c. à soupe Fried onions (For the topping)

Instructions

1. Rinsing the rice

   Place the jasmine rice in a colander and rinse under cold water, stirring until the water runs clear.

   Time: PT5M

2. Cooking the rice

   Pour the rinsed rice and 300 ml water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover without lifting the lid, reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

   Time: PT25M

   Temperature: 190°C

3. Preparing the coating

   In a bowl, combine the flour, starch, garlic powder, smoked paprika and panko. Set aside.

   Time: PT5M

4. Cutting the chicken

   Cut the two chicken fillets into bite‑size strips (tenders).

   Time: PT5M

5. Egg‑water mixture

   Beat the two eggs with 30 ml water in a small bowl until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

   Time: PT2M

6. Coating the chicken

   Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then in the egg, and finally in the panko mixture, pressing lightly.

   Time: PT5M

7. Preparing the oil

   Heat the oil in the deep‑fryer or pot to 160 °C (use a thermometer).

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 160°C

8. Frying the chicken

   Drop the tenders into the hot oil, do not overload the fryer. Fry 5‑6 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

   Time: PT6M

   Temperature: 160°C

9. White sauce

   In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar until smooth.

   Time: PT5M

10. Sweet‑and‑sour sauce

    In a small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sweet‑and‑sour sauce and 1 tablespoon honey. Bring to a gentle boil, add the cornstarch diluted in 30 ml water, stir until thickened.

    Time: PT8M

    Temperature: 95°C

11. Toppings (ginger, garlic, onion)

    Heat a small pan with a drizzle of oil, add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté 2 minutes over medium heat, then remove from heat.

    Time: PT2M

    Temperature: 180°C

12. Toasting black sesame

    Lightly toast the black sesame in a dry pan for 1 minute over medium heat.

    Time: PT1M

    Temperature: 180°C

13. Assembling the Crusty Rice

    In a bowl, place the cooked rice. Add the crispy chicken tenders, drizzle with white sauce then sweet‑and‑sour sauce. Sprinkle the sautéed toppings, fried onions, cilantro, chives and black sesame.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1020

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

60 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Jasmine rice: Basmati rice
• Instead of All‑purpose flour: Whole‑wheat flour
• Instead of Potato or corn starch: Cornstarch
• Instead of Garlic powder: Fresh grated garlic
• Instead of Smoked paprika: Sweet paprika
• Instead of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs): Regular breadcrumbs
• Instead of Chicken fillets: Turkey cutlets
• Instead of Eggs: Egg substitute
• Instead of Water (for the egg mixture): Milk
• Instead of Mayonnaise: Plain yogurt
• Instead of Sour cream: Liquid cream
• Instead of Rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar
• Instead of Sugar: Honey
• Instead of Soy sauce: Tamari
• Instead of Sweet‑and‑sour sauce (sweet chili): Teriyaki sauce
• Instead of Honey: Maple syrup
• Instead of Cornstarch (maïzena): Potato starch
• Instead of Water (for the slurry): Light broth
• Instead of Onion: Shallot
• Instead of Garlic: Garlic powder
• Instead of Fresh ginger: Ground ginger
• Instead of Fresh cilantro: Parsley
• Instead of Chives: Green onion
• Instead of Black sesame: White sesame
• Instead of Fried onions: Caramelized onions

Equipment Needed

• Saucepan with lid
• Colander or sieve
• Mixing bowl (for coating)
• Whisk or fork
• Deep fryer (or large pot) for frying
• Cooking thermometer
• Frying spatula
• Pan for sautéing toppings
• Measuring spoon
• Bottle or piping bag (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Fully rinse the rice until water is clear
• Maintain oil at 160 °C during frying
• Thicken the sweet‑and‑sour sauce correctly with the proper starch proportion
• Do not overload the fryer to avoid temperature drop

Chef Tips from the Video

• Drizzle a little sesame oil over the chicken just before serving for extra aroma.
• Use high‑quality Thai jasmine rice for an authentic fragrance.
• For a spicier flavor, add a few slices of fresh chili to the toppings.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the rice, fried chicken and sauces separately in airtight containers for 2 days.

Freezer: Fried chicken can be frozen for 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Room temperature: Do not leave the dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the white and sweet‑and‑sour sauces the day before and keep them refrigerated.
• Fry the chicken ahead of time, keep warm at 80 °C in the oven, then quickly reheat before serving.