Ayam Asam Manis (Ootoya Tori Kurozu-An)

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Make the marinade. Grate the ginger and collect 1 tsp ginger (with juice). Grate 1 clove garlic. Combine the ginger, garlic, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sake in a large bowl.
3. Trim off and discard any excess fat from 2 chicken thighs, then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and add them to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Combine all the ingredients for the Black Vinegar Sauce: 4 Tbsp sugar, 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp Japanese black vinegar (kurozu), 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp sake, and 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Mix it well together.
5. Peel and cut 3 potatoes in half. Peel and cut ½ carrot into small pieces. For the carrots, I use the rangiri cutting technique to create more surface space so that they will cook faster and look pretty.
6. Potatoes and carrots take too long to cook by deep-frying alone; therefore, we boil them first for 10 minutes until they are tender. Drain and set aside.
7. Peel and cut 3 inches lotus root (renkon) into ⅛-inch (3-mm) slices. Peel 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant in a striped pattern and cut it into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slices.
8. Cut ½ onion into wedges and cut the wedges in half crosswise. Cut ½ green pepper into wedges, then cut the wedges in half crosswise.
9. In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, add 3 cups neutral oil. Make sure you have at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in the pot. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need more or less oil. If you are new to deep-frying, read my post on How to Deep-Fry Food for helpful tips. Preheat the oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Using a paper towel, pat dry the vegetables. Then, add them to the oil and deep-fry until they're tender. Be careful not to overcook or undercook. When they're done, drain them on a wire rack or paper towel.
10. Next, coat the chicken pieces in ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch and deep-fry at 340ºF (170ºC) for 5 minutes or until golden brown. If the chicken is browning too quickly, lower the heat to make sure the chicken gets cooked through. Then, place the chicken pieces on a wire rack or paper towel and drain well.
11. When you're done deep-frying the chicken, reheat the wok and toss the deep-fried vegetables and chicken together. When they are re-heated evenly, pour the Black Vinegar Sauce over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine. Transfer the Sweet and Sour Chicken to a plate and serve.
12. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.