How to Make Fried Chicken Drumsticks with Fish Sauce
When making fried chicken drumsticks with fish sauce, it's important to get the sauce just right, balancing salty and sweet flavors with a rich, aromatic, and slightly sticky consistency.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken drumsticks (~850g)
- 15-20 garlic cloves
- 1 chili pepper (optional for heat)
- Coarse salt, ginger-infused rice wine
- Margarine
- Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, ground pepper
Ingredient Notes
You can use either free-range or industrial chicken drumsticks for this dish. However, if using free-range chicken, it's best to choose younger chickens for a more tender texture. Older chickens tend to become dry and tough when fried.
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
Rub the chicken drumsticks with coarse salt and ginger-infused rice wine to clean and remove any odors. Rinse well and pat dry.
After cleaning, make small cuts along the inside of the drumsticks, gently separating the meat from the bone. This helps the chicken absorb the seasoning better and ensures even cooking. Keep the outer skin intact.
After scoring the chicken, marinate with 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of ginger powder. You can also use fresh ginger, crushed or extract the juice to marinate for extra fragrance.
Divide the garlic into two portions: one for the sauce and one (larger portion) for frying and sprinkling on the final dish.
Finely chop the chili pepper (if using).
Fry the Chicken
After marinating the chicken for 30 minutes to 1 hour, fry the drumsticks. You can pan-fry on low heat, deep-fry, or use an air fryer.
For this recipe, Cookbeo uses an air fryer.
Set the air fryer to 170°C (340°F) for 40 minutes to cook the chicken, then increase to 200°C (390°F) for 4-6 minutes to crisp up the skin. If you prefer a more golden-brown finish, you can fry it a little longer.
For this dish, Cookbeo prefers not to over-fry the chicken, just enough to crisp the skin while keeping the meat tender and juicy inside. Depending on your air fryer model, adjust the temperature and time accordingly.
Make the Fish Sauce Coating
Heat about 5 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan, then add about 2/3 of the minced garlic and fry until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove and set aside. This fried garlic will be added at the end to enhance the dish's flavor.
Next, make the fish sauce glaze. Use about 3 tablespoons of the leftover oil, heat it on medium-low, and add the remaining minced garlic.
Once the garlic turns golden, add 2 teaspoons of margarine and stir to melt. Then, add 40ml of fish sauce, 40ml of water, and 28-30g of sugar. You can increase the sugar slightly if you prefer a sweeter taste. This sauce recipe can also be used for other dishes like fried squid with fish sauce, fried frogs with fish sauce, or fried fish with fish sauce.
Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Once the sauce thickens slightly, add the fried chicken drumsticks and cook for another 2 minutes to coat the chicken in the sauce.
When the sauce has thickened and clings to the chicken, remove the drumsticks and plate them. Optionally, add 1-2 tablespoons of chicken fat (from frying) to the sauce for extra richness, then stir in some chopped chili and ground pepper before turning off the heat. Serve the sauce separately in a small bowl.
Additional Information
You can watch the video tutorial for this recipe on Cookbeo's official YouTube channel here.