Crispy Chicken Balls in Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

1. 1
   Mix the ground chicken with the scallions, garlic, ginger, egg, cornstarch, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.
2. 2
   With wet hands, shape patties the size of a walnut, about 20 patties.

   💡Wet hands don't stick to the mixture, and the patties come out smooth and even.

To assemble

1. 3
   Heat the oil' in a deep pot' and fry the meatballs in it in batches 4–5 minutes, until they brown. Transfer to paper towels.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for fryingPaper towels

   💡Fry in small batches in oil that's hot but not scorching: scorching oil burns the outside of the meatballs before they cook inside. Check that one meatball is cooked all the way through.

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
2. 4
   In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, honey and sesame oil.

   Bowl

   💡Honey balances the saltiness of the soy and caramelizes over heat: on the grill it gives a browned crust, and in a pan a glossy sauce.
3. 5
   Add the chili sauce and cornstarch to the sauce and stir until the cornstarch dissolves.
4. 6
   Bring the sauce to a boil in the pan, add the fried meatballs and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce coats them.

   StoveFrying pan

   💡The meatballs go into the sauce only at the end and for just a few minutes: the sauce coats them, and the crust doesn't have time to soften.
5. 7
   Serve with white rice.