Japanese Fried Chicken

Yields 2 to 3 servings

1 pound boneless, chicken thighs, with or without the skin, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 piece of ginger, about 1-1/2 inches, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup potato starch, or as needed to lightly coat chicken pieces (cornstarch is a good substitute)
peanut or other vegetable oil, for deep frying
a few drops sesame oil, optional, to add to frying oil for extra flavor
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and black pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sake, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and sugar. Add chicken pieces and let marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large pot to reach a depth of 2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot  and heat the oil to 325 degrees F over medium heat. Lightly pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. Working in batches, toss chicken in the potato flour until lightly and evenly coated. Fry the chicken pieces a few at a time, until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Repeat until all the chicken is fried, letting the oil come back up to temperature before frying each batch.

Once all the chicken is cooked, turn up the flame and heat oil to 375 degrees F and fry the chicken nuggets a second time, in batches ,until crisp and golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove fried chicken pieces and drain on a wire rack or on paper towel. Repeat until all the chicken is fried, letting the oil come back up to temperature before frying each batch.

Serve with plenty of lemon wedges.

Adapted from Just Hungry.