Hat Yai Fried Chicken (Kai Thot Hat Yai)
ไก่ทอดหาดใหญ่ Kai Thot Hat YaiSay it: gai TOT haht-YAI
Hat Yai fried chicken is southern Thailand's most famous street food, sold from sizzling woks in the city of Hat Yai and all across the deep south. Bone-in chicken pieces soak up a marinade of coriander root, garlic, white pepper and fish sauce, then take on a thin, crackly rice-flour crust and a crown of crisp fried shallots. It tastes savoury, garlicky and faintly sweet, and it is best eaten hot with sticky rice and a sharp chilli dipping sauce.
Hat Yai Fried Chicken (Kai Thot Hat Yai)
ไก่ทอดหาดใหญ่, Kai Thot Hat Yai
Pronounced gai TOT haht-YAI
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, fish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Chicken and marinade
Batter
To finish
Sweet chilli dipping sauce (nam jim gai)
Method
Make the dipping sauce first. simmer the sugar, vinegar, water and salt in a small pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, until slightly syrupy and clear. Take it off the heat, stir in the chilli flakes and minced garlic, and set aside to cool.
Pound the garlic, coriander roots and white peppercorns in a mortar (or blitz in a small food processor) to a rough, moist paste.
Put the chicken in a bowl and rub the paste all over it, then add the fish sauce, palm sugar and curry powder and turn until every piece is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for a deeper flavour.
Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the oil into a small pan and heat over medium-low. Fry the sliced shallots, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes until pale golden and crisp — they darken quickly once off the heat — then drain on paper towels.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, rice flour and salt in a bowl, pour in the cold water and whisk to a smooth, thin batter about the consistency of pancake batter. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a deep heavy pot to 340°F (170°C). Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dip each one in the batter so it is thinly and evenly coated.
Fry the chicken in batches of three or four, turning now and then, for 12-15 minutes for drumsticks or 10-12 minutes for wings, until deep golden and the crust is crisp and crackled. The juices should run clear and the thickest part should reach 165°F (74°C).
Drain on a wire rack set over a tray — not on paper — so the underside stays crisp. Pile the chicken on a plate, scatter the fried shallots and cilantro leaves over the top, and serve hot with lime wedges and the dipping sauce.
Regional variants
Some cooks add 2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut milk to the batter for a richer shell, and others skip the batter and toss the marinated chicken in a dry mix of rice flour and cornstarch for a thinner, crunchier crust.
Cook's notes
- Marinate overnight if you can: the coriander root, garlic and pepper need time to reach the bone.
- Fry the shallots before the chicken so the oil stays clean and sweet-smelling, and keep the oil at a steady 340°F (170°C) so the batter sets before it browns.
- A wire rack keeps the crust crisp; paper towels trap steam and soften it.
Serve with
Sticky rice (khao niao), the sweet chilli sauce, lime wedges and cold Thai iced tea.
Make ahead and storage
Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead and fry the shallots a day early; store them airtight at room temperature. Best eaten straight from the oil, but leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and re-crisp in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 10 minutes.
