Max’s Style Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 chicken leg quarter
• 0.25 cup patis (fish sauce)
• 0.25 cup calamansi juice
• 10 garlic (minced)
• 3 onions (chopped)
• 3 heads garlic (halved)
• 1 stalk cilantro (also known as wansoy)
• 0.25 cup calamansi juice
• 4 bay leaves
• 0.25 cup peppercorn
• 0.25 cup patis (fish sauce)
• 2 sachets Maggi Magic Sarap (all-in-one seasoning)
• water (as needed to cover chicken)
• 1 sachet Maggi Magic Sarap (for drying/seasoning)
• 1 tsp baking powder (for drying/seasoning)
• oil (for deep frying)
• 6 sweet potatoes (cut into fries)
• 0.33 cup white vinegar (for soaking)
• 0.25 cup flour
• 0.25 cup cornstarch
• 0.25 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder (for fries batter)
• 1 tsp baking soda (for fries batter)
• banana ketchup (for dipping sauce)
• Worcestershire sauce (for dipping sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, combine the chicken leg quarters with 1/4 cup patis, 1/4 cup calamansi juice, and 10 cloves of minced garlic. Marinate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight in the refrigerator.

2. 2

   Transfer the chicken and its marinating liquid to a large pot.

3. 3

   Add the chopped onions, halved garlic heads, cilantro stalk, 1/4 cup calamansi juice, bay leaves, peppercorns, 1/4 cup patis, and 1-2 sachets of Maggi Magic Sarap to the pot.

4. 4

   Pour in enough water to cover most of the chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes to pre-cook the meat and tighten the skin.

5. 5

   Remove the chicken from the liquid and let it cool. Combine 1 sachet of Maggi Magic Sarap and 1 tsp baking powder, then season the chicken skin evenly with this mixture.

6. 6

   Place the chicken on a rack and leave it in the fridge overnight, uncovered, to dry out the skin.

7. 7

   For the sweet potato fries, soak the cut sweet potatoes in a mixture of water and 1/3 cup white vinegar. Before draining, reserve some of the soaking water.

8. 8

   In a bowl, combine the drained potatoes with flour, cornstarch, rice flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add a small amount of the reserved soaking liquid to create a light batter coating.

9. 9

   Heat oil to 165°C (330°F) and deep fry the sweet potatoes for 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

10. 10

    Deep fry the dried chicken in hot oil until the skin is golden brown and very crispy.

11. 11

    Prepare the dipping sauce by combining banana ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to your preferred ratio.

12. 12

    Serve the fried chicken hot with rice, the sweet potato fries, and the dipping sauce.

Notes

The secret to this style of chicken is the blanching followed by an overnight air-dry in the fridge, which ensures the skin becomes paper-thin and crispy without a heavy breading. The blanching liquid can be strained and used as a flavorful chicken broth for other dishes.

Nutrition per serving

• Main
• Fried Chicken
• Filipino
• Deep-Fried
• Dinner
• Crispy