Preparation time
overnight
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the fried turkey
- 2 turkey thighs, skinless, bone removed and cut into bite-size chunks
- 200ml/7fl oz buttermilk to marinate
- pinch ground star anise
- 10 coriander seeds, crushed
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp paprika
- 250g/9oz plain flour
- 4 tsp crushed Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the bang bang sauce
- 250g/9oz smooth peanut butter
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp sesame oil
- 5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
To serve
- handful curry leaves
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 green chillis, thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp micro coriander
- 1 tbsp micro amaranth
- handful toasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- few bean sprouts
- 150g/5½oz pickled onion rings, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
Method
To make the fried turkey, place the buttermilk into a bowl with the star anise and coriander and mix to combine. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper and coat well. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to cook, fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
Mix the remaining turkey ingredients together in a bowl. Dip the turkey pieces into the mixture and deep-fry in batches for 6–8 minutes, until cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
Deep-fry the curry leaves, drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
To make the bang bang sauce, warm the peanut butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water until soft. Slowly stir in the remaining ingredients until you have a loose, spoonable sauce.
To serve, spoon a generous amount of the sauce on the bottom of a serving plate and pile the crisp turkey on top. Garnish with the fried curry leaves and remaining serving ingredients. Drizzle over some more of the sauce and serve.