Recipe Notes:

• You could substitute tapioca flour with potato flour or corn starch.

• You could substitute raw sugar with white sugar.

• You could substitute boneless chicken maryland with boneless chicken thigh.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN

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(Serves 4-6 peoples)

✅️ 2 (±1 kg) Chicken Marylands

✅️ 1 (±65 g) Egg 

✅️ 1 Tbsp Custard Powder

✅️ ½ Tsp Salt

✅️ ½ Tsp Ground White Pepper

✅️ 150 g Tapioca Flour

✅️ 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

✅️ 350 ml Cooking Oil

INGREDIENTS FOR CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN - SAUCE

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✅️ 50 ml Lemon Juice

✅️ ±1 Tsp Lemon Zest (from 1 Lemon)

✅️ 125 ml Chicken Stock

✅️ 50 ml Honey

✅️ 2 Tbsp Sugar

✅️ 1 Tbsp Custard Powder

✅️ 1 (±90 g) Stalk Celery 

✅️ 2 Slices Ginger

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Add tapioca flour and garlic powder into a rectangular 22cm x 15cm x 11cm food container. Cover the container with its lid and shake it to mix the mixture thoroughly and then set it aside.
   
   

2. Add egg, salt, ground white pepper and custard powder into a bowl. Stir the mixture to combine thoroughly and then set the bowl aside.
   
   

3. Pat dry the chicken marylands with kitchen paper towel on both sides. Carefully debone the chicken maryland with a small sharp knife. Transfer the chicken to the bowl containing the egg mixture prepared earlier. Flip and turn the chicken in the bowl and then set them aside to marinate for 15 mins.
   
   

4. After 15 mins, add 1 of the marinated chicken into the container containing the flour mixture prepared earlier. Cover the container with its lid and shake it to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Remove the container's lid and then add the other marinated chicken. Cover the container with its lid and shake it to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Coating the chicken with the flour mixture in the container this way will give an even coating. The kitchen bench is also a lot less messy!
   
   

5. Add the cooking oil to a pan and heat it up over MEDIUM heat until it is hot. Dip a wooden chopstick into the oil. The oil is hot when it starts bubbling steadily. Lift up one of the coated boneless chicken and shake off any excess flour. Carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil with its skin side down. Fry the chicken until its skin turns golden in color. Typically, this will take about 6 mins.
   
   After 6 mins, the chicken skin should now be golden in color. Flip the chicken to brown the other side. Continue to fry the chicken until it is cooked through and well browned. Typically, this will take about 6 to 7 mins.
   
   After 7 min, the chicken should now be cooked and well browned. Remove the chicken from the pan. Transfer the fried chicken onto a wire rack.
   
   Repeat the same steps with the other prepared chicken maryland.
   
   Prepare the lemon sauce while the chicken pieces are still being cooled on the wire rack.
   
   

6. Add chicken stock, lemon juice, honey, raw sugar, custard powder, slice ginger and lemon zest into a pot. Stir the mixture until the custard powder is fully melted in the liquid. Transfer the pot to a stove and simmer over LOW heat. Add celery stalk to the pot. Stir the mixture and let it simmers until the liquid reaches a thick "syrupy" consistency. If your sauce is reduced too much and becomes too thick, simply thin it by adding chicken stock to the mixture.
   
   Switch the heat OFF once the liquid thickens. Remove the ginger and celery from the pot. The sauce should have a smooth and thick "syrupy" consistency.
   
   

7. The chicken should now be sufficiently cooled for handling. Cut the fried chicken to serve. Pour the lemon sauce generously over the chicken.

RECIPE PHOTO GALLERY