A delicious recipe for crispy fried chicken with “Soo guy” sauce that’s sure to please!
Soo guy chicken is a unique dish that combines Chinese and American cuisine in a single recipe. There are lots of variations on this dish, and here’s one with a delicious “Soo guy” sweet and sour sauce, enriched with soy sauce and oyster sauce!
What is Soo guy chicken?
Sometimes it’s spelled “War Su Gai” or “War shu gai”. “Soo guy” is mostly for the American pronunciation. Roughly speaking, it translates as “wok-cooked chicken”. So you see, Soo guy chicken is a Sino-American (and Canadian) dish made with chicken coated in a tasty soy-based brown sauce.
Typically, boneless chicken thighs are dipped in a thick tempura batter, then fried until golden brown. Cut on the diagonal, the chicken pieces are then placed on a bed of iceberg lettuce… In short, a beautiful blend of textures, combining the crispness of the batter with the tenderness of the chicken and the freshness of the lettuce!
In many variations, the chicken is garnished with roasted almonds, which themselves originate from Chinese cuisine. This is also why it’s sometimes referred to as almond chicken, but I’ll cover that in another recipe. For Japanese food fans, it’s very similar to nanban chicken.
It’s up to you to add more or less, according to your taste. In this recipe, I won’t be using any myself. In other versions, you can even use cashews (see my Chinese cashew chicken). For my part, I used oyster sauce in the marinade… And that makes it even tastier!
Where does Soo guy chicken come from?
The origins of Soo guy chicken are hard to pin down. The dish’s origins lie mainly in immigration, when Chinese communities settled in the United States. These communities, most of them from Canton, arrived on American soil in the mid-19th century, bringing with them their own recipes and traditions.
Many still date the dish’s appearance to the 1920s in the U.S. state of Ohio. In fact, it’s here that you’ll find the most variants of Soo guy chicken.
Some purists of Chinese cuisine won’t even recognize this recipe. Outside of Michigan, Ohio and, further afield, Ontario in Canada (along with Chinese spare ribs, orange beef and Chinese macaroni ), where it’s a big hit, Soo guy chicken remains an unknown quantity for many Americans too.
Unlike dishes like beef chop suey or chow mein, Soo guy chicken hasn’t enjoyed the same popularity across the US and the rest of the world. And yet, I guarantee it’s well worth the detour!
Main ingredients of Soo guy chicken
Oyster sauce: This is a syrupy Chinese sauce that adds a sweet-salty taste that is essential in the brown sauce of Soo guy chicken.
Light soy sauce: Another essential for preparing Soo guy sweet and sour sauce. It has a fine texture and a rather salty taste compared with oyster sauce. Both give their color to the final sauce.
Rice vinegar: This adds a sweeter note to the sauce. But which vinegar should you choose? I’ll let you choose, thanks to my guide to rice vinegar.
Shaoxing wine: This is the taste of Chinese cuisine par excellence. It enhances meat dishes and marinades. If you want an equivalent, it tastes like sherry vinegar.
Iceberg lettuce: Use just before serving. It’s the touch of freshness and crunch we’ve been waiting for in this dish.
Restaurant-style Soo Guy chicken
Matériel
Ingredients
Frying batter
- 75 g wheat flour
- 75 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 100 ml water cold
Marinade
- 2 chicken thighs boneless
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
Soo Guy sweet and sour sauce
- 100 g of sugar
- 100 g ketchup
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 60 g rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Other
- Neutral oil for frying
- Iceberg lettuce to serve
Procédé
- Using a hammer, flatten the thighs to a uniform thickness.2 chicken thighs
- Marinate the chicken (covered, in the fridge) for at least 20 minutes with the marinade ingredients.1 teaspoon grated garlic, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- In a large bowl, combine all dry batter ingredients.75 g wheat flour, 75 g cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill for 10 minutes1 egg, 100 ml water
- In a saucepan or wok, heat the oil to 175 degrees Celsius.Neutral oil
- Remove the dough from the fridge and stir lightly. Dip the chicken pieces in the batter, turning several times, then fry for about 6 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Place cooked chicken on paper towel or wire rack. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Heat oil to 185 degrees Celsius, fry chicken a second time for one minute on each side.
- Return them to the paper towel or grid
- Cut into thick slices and serve on lettuce.
Soo guy sauce
- Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.100 g of sugar, 100 g ketchup, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 60 g rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Serve with lettuce
