Salt-and-pepper chicken spare ribs with tamarind hot sauce

Name: Salt-and-pepper chicken spare ribs with tamarind hot sauce
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 6
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; 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

Chicken spare ribs take a journey through south-east Asia in this fiery, aromatic recipe from Melbourne restaurant Gingerboy.

May 26, 2015 2:00pm

Serves 6
15 mins preparation
25 mins cooking

"I would love to recreate the chicken ribs I ate at Gingerboy at home. Would you print the recipe?" - George Clancy, Albert Park, Vic

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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

1
Combine 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.
2
For tamarind hot sauce, whisk ingredients in a bowl to combine, refrigerate until required. This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
3
Heat 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.