Honey Chili Fried Chicken and Mushroom

As I've grown older, I realize that food remains the book marker of the story of my life. Not so much as marking these huge, memorable moments in my life, but the small blips on the radar that make for the filler of the past 35 years. Fond stories I tell about my dad breaking down a bushel of crabs to make omelets back home in Philippines to a steaming plate of Yang Chow fried rice at a cafe and 3 in the morning after a long night of drinking with friends.

This dish reminds me of a restaurant back in Philippines we used to always go to. There wasn't anything particularly special about the restaurant or the food that they served. It was a chain restaurant that was located in pretty much every major mall. It wasn't a food court type of joint, but an actual sit down a la carte restaurant. As I tried remembering more details about the place, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't any of those details that I was reaching for. It was the family day out. We didn't have a car so it was buses, jeepneys and tricycles everywhere we went. I always remember those times every time I strap my daughter on to her booster seat now. Maybe it wasn't worth all the trouble to go to this place and have this particular fried chicken dish, but maybe a  day spent exploring Metro Manila with my family by bus isn't such a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Honey Chili Fried Chicken and Mushroom

Honey Chili Fried Chicken and Mushroom

2 large chicken breasts cut in to bite sized cubes

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 beaten egg

oil for deep frying

2 cups button mushrooms quartered

1 small onion large diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 thumb sized ginger peeled and roughly sliced

sauce

1/2 cup Oyster sauce

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha (or whatever hot sauce you have in your pantry)

all ingredients put together and stirred until well incorporated

Procedure

-mix the flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a paper bag or tupperware with cover

-toss the chicken with the beaten egg and throw in the dredge mixture and shake well until all of the meat is coated well

-heat oil to 375 and fry the chicken until golden brown and crispy. 

-let the cooked chicken drain or a rack and set aside

-heat up a wok or a large skillet and sweat the onion, ginger and garlic then add the mushrooms then saute until tender

-add the chicken and toss for a minute then pour the sauce and quickly stir until all the meat is coated with the sauce

serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Honey Chili Fried Chicken and Mushroom