Duck-Fat-Fried Chicken with Piquillos Ketchup

SERVES 4

Fried chicken is all about the crunch. I love it, it’s so versatile. The inspiration for this piquillos hot sauce comes from a well-known dish in the southwest of France called poulet basquaise. It’s a little bit sweet and sour, which makes it pair nicely with the chicken.

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For the chicken marinade:

1 chicken (around 3 pounds)

3 cups light soy sauce

1 cup sesame oil

½ cup chili oil (without seeds)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic

For the piquillos ketchup:

1 cup piquillo peppers, drained

2 cups raspberry vinegar

4 cups water, plus more as needed

½ cup sugar

Kosher salt

White pepper, ground

1 tablespoon Tabasco

For the fried chicken:

6 cups duck fat

¼ cup herbes de Provence

1 pound cornstarch

Salt

Pepper

Marinate the chicken: Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, chopped ginger, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Mix with a whisk, set aside. Clean the chicken, leaving the skin on. Cut chicken breast and legs into pieces. Place all the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the marinade and coat. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight.

Make the ketchup: Combine the piquillos with the raspberry vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste in large saucepan. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes. The liquids will reduce to a syrupy consistency. Carefully blend the piquillo mix in a blender until it is completely smooth, adding water as necessary. Once the mix is completely pureed, add the Tabasco and stir it in gently. Set aside in the refrigerator.

To fry the chicken: In a saucepan, slowly heat the duck fat over medium heat to 320ºF. Place the chicken legs in a bowl, and lightly toss with half the cornstarch. Carefully lower the coated chicken leg into the duck fat, and fry for approximately 12 minutes (check the temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer to ensure the center is cooked to 160ºF). Remove the chicken legs from the duck fat, place on paper towels to drain the excess fat, and season with herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the bowl, and lightly toss with the remaining cornstarch. Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the duck fat and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the duck fat, place on paper towels to drain the excess fat, and season with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.

Serve the chicken while hot with the piquillos ketchup for dipping.