Gingerboy's salt-and-pepper chicken spare ribs with tamarind hot sauce
Chicken spare ribs take a journey through south-east Asia in this fiery, aromatic recipe from Melbourne restaurant Gingerboy.
- 15 mins preparation
- 25 mins cooking
- Serves 6
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Ingredients
- 750 gm chicken ribs (see note)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) light soy sauce
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) Shaoxing wine
- 60 ml (¼ cup) sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese five-spice
- For deep-frying: vegetable oil
- 225 gm (1½ cups) self-raising flour
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced to serve
- 4 birdseye chillies, thinly sliced, to serve
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve
Tamarind hot sauce
- 85 ml light soy sauce
- 70 ml coconut vinegar (see note)
- 70 ml Sriracha sauce
- 50 gm tamarind purée
- 50 ml sweet soy sauce
- 50 gm chilli jam (see note)
- 40 gm gula melaka (dark palm sugar), finely chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Method
- 1Combine chicken ribs, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and five-spice in a non-reactive container, ensuring ribs are completely coated, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- 2For tamarind hot sauce, whisk ingredients in a bowl to combine, refrigerate until required. This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- 3Heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan over high heat to 180C. Place flour in a bowl and season to taste. Dip ribs in egg, then flour, shake off excess and deep-fry in batches until golden brown and crisp (5-6 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels, season to taste with salt, then combine ribs in a large bowl with tamarind sauce and coat well. Serve hot, scattered with kaffir lime leaves, chillies and spring onions.
Notes
Note Chicken ribs are pieces of bone-in breast; they're available from poultry shops or butchers. You can also substitute chicken wings. Coconut vinegar is available from Asian grocers. Gingerboy makes its own chilli jam; we used shop-bought.