One of the best street foods to come out of Taiwan is their yan su ji, popcorn chicken spiced and deep fried. Thanks to Taiwanese immigrants and their kids , the dish is being reimagined and introduced to American audiences. It's a tasty take on fried chicken , full of crunch and flavor.
Winner of the James Beard food writing award and author of The Food Of Taiwan, Recipes from A Beautiful Island,(Houghton Mifflin Publishing 2015) Cathy Erway wrote about it in today's New York Times Food section.The chicken dish is in demand as it completes with American and Korean fried chicken chains, the last being popular on colleges campuses. Yan su ji also rivals the Indian fried chicken sandwich which has it's own fan base, especially in New York City. There is also an interest in Taiwanese cooking right now with Americans curious about the island's flavors and cooking techniques. Many Taiwanese American chefs are putting their own spin on it. The chicken is being tucked into sandwiches and steamed buns, .It's served atop white bread smothered in pickles or drenched in different American regional sauces, reflecting the chefs' upbringing.David Kuo of Little Fatty's in Los Angeles has changed it up completely. He used cut quail pieces , topped with fried basil and served with a spicy mayo. There are bones for crunching on too.
Most chefs, though stick with their family's recipe. Alvin Sun of Atlanta Georgia's Java Saga uses his mother and kitchen collaborator Amy Lee's one It is also well guarded and a secret. Surprisingly it's not one handed down for generations. The idea began in the 1970's at night markets around the time TKK Taiwanese Chicken was created. It was based on American chicken joints and offered those pieces alon g with deep fried cutlets called da ji pai which is also gaining in popularity here.Families, especially kids picked up on it. Some chefs are updating it as is Erik Bruner-Yang who is half Taiwanese He adds fish sauce and serves it on toast points, an homage to the restaurant ]s former neighbor the seafood place Horace and Dickie's, Katie Liu Sung makes not only popcorn chicken but the Taiwanese fried style on a bun with pickles at her place Chewology in Kansas City Missouri She learned the frying technique from working at the Texas chain Church's which was also in Taiwan. Both recipes benefit from it. Ms. Erway also includes her recipe for it, You will have to buy tapioca flour for it to give the pieces that classic crunch along with Chinese five spice powder.
Yan su ji is gaining in popularity and with good reason.It's a tasty, addictive bite full of flavor and crunch. It's good homemade or from a restaurant.
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