CRISPY Honey Chicken

Step 1: RECOMMENDED: Place batter mixing bowl in the fridge with the flour, baking powder and salt. (Helps keep batter cold = crispier chicken)

MARINATE and DUST CHICKEN

Step 2: Marinade: Mix Chicken and Marinade in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Dust: Spread the 1/2 cup cornstarch/cornflour in a shallow plate. Scatter over about 8 to 10 chicken pieces, toss to coat, shake off excess, put on a plate. Repeat with all chicken. (I'd personally place the cornstarch in a ziplock bag and toss the chicken that way).

Step 4: *COLD BATTER AND FRY* (See Fry Method #1 and Fry Method #2)

Step 5: Rack: Place a rack on a tray.

Step 6: Heat Oil: Fill small pot or large saucepan with 1.7" (4 cm) oil. Heat to 350°F (180°C) on medium high stove (or until chicken starts sizzle straight away when dipped).

Step 7: Make Cold Batter: Whisk together flour, cornstarch (cornflour), baking powder and salt. Pour in 7 tablespoons soda water, then do minimum whisks just to combine (10 or so) - a few lumps are OK, better than whisking too much (changes the coating texture).

Step 8: Batter Thickness: should fully coat chicken easily, not intended to see through, but not thick and heavy. Use extra water 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve right thickness.

Step 9: Dredge: Drop 8 or so pieces of chicken into the batter. Turn to coat, then carefully place in oil.

FRY METHOD # 1

Step 10: Cook for 3 minutes until light golden and crispy - when you pick them up, you can tell it's very crispy.

FRY METHOD # 2 - for Ultra Crispy!

Step 11: Heat oil to 390°F (200°C).

Step 12: Add in half the chicken (you can crowd the pot a bit more for Fry #2). Cook for 90 seconds until it changes from pale golden to very golden (but not dark golden, chicken will overcook, need to keep a close eye on it), then remove onto rack. More golden = crispier chicken.

Step 13: Repeat with remaining chicken. (Feel the chicken - you can tell it's built-to-last crispy!)

Step 14: Drain and repeat: Place on rack, repeat with remaining chicken - normally it takes 4 batches to cook, don't crowd the pot, brings oil temperature down too much.

Step 15: Cool chicken for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make Sauce.

HONEY SAUCE

Step 16: Place ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, then leave to simmer for 3 minutes.

Step 17: Consistency should be like maple syrup. Turn off stove, place lid on to keep warm (when cool, gets too thick to toss chicken).

TOSS in SAUCE and SERVE

Step 18: Tumble into saucepan with sauce, use rubber spatula to quick toss until coated with sauce. (Sauce starts thickening if you take too long, so be quick!)

Step 19: Pile chicken up over crispy noodles (if using), scatter with sesame seeds and green onion and serve!

Step 20: *PUFFY CRISPY NOODLES (Optional):

Step 21: At any point while oil is hot, drop wad of noodles into hot oil, wait 3 seconds until it puffs up, then remove with tongs.

Step 22: Drain on paper towels, place on plate to top with chicken!

NOTE 1: Cold soda water, club soda, or seltzer water - it must be fridge cold to ensure crispy coating. Needs to be man-made fizziness to help with the puffiness. Do not use sparkling mineral water (ie naturally fizzy) - it's not as strong. It works but will not produce a crispy product.

NOTE 2: Glucose or corn syrup (light) - key to making the honey sauce "toffee-like" so it coats and semi-sets ON the crispy crust rather than soaking INTO it and making it soggy. Both work just as well.

NOTE 3: Cool chicken = crispier crust once double fried. Don't know exact science, presume it's like cold batter = crispier chicken! Still very crisper if double fried straight away, but stronger crust if cooled.