Gai Tod Hat Yai (Hat Yai Fried Chicken)
Southern Thailand’s famous fried chicken, marinated in coriander seed, cumin and garlic and buried under crispy fried shallots.
- Region
- Southern Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Thai Soy Sauces
- Vegetables
- Coriander Root, Thai Shallots, Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in
- Marinade: 4 coriander roots (or a handful of stems) and 8 cloves garlic
- Marinade: 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- Marinade: 1 tsp white peppercorns, ground
- Marinade: 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- Oil for deep-frying
- 1 cup crispy fried shallots
- To serve: sticky rice and Thai sweet chilli sauce
Instructions
Hat Yai, the busy southern city near the Malaysian border, has given its name to a style of fried chicken sold all over Thailand. It is fragrant with coriander seed and cumin, crisp without a heavy batter, and served under a generous heap of crispy fried shallots.
Method
- Pound the coriander roots and garlic to a paste. Mix in the ground spices, pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar.
- Make two or three cuts in each piece of chicken and rub the marinade all over. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
- Heat the oil to 160°C. Toss the chicken in the rice flour, shaking off the excess.
- Fry the chicken in batches for 12–15 minutes, turning, until cooked through and deep golden. Drain on a rack.
- For extra crunch, raise the oil to 180°C and fry the pieces again for 1–2 minutes.
- Pile the chicken on a plate, cover it with crispy shallots, and serve with sticky rice and sweet chilli sauce.
Cook’s tips
- Frying at a lower temperature first cooks the chicken through without burning the marinade.
- Crispy shallots in tubs from Asian grocers work well; homemade are even better.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.