Steps

1. Trim excess skin from 4 bone-in chicken thighs.
   🕒 02:51
2. Make cuts on both sides of the bone in the chicken to ensure even cooking and flavor penetration.
   🕒 03:44
3. Pierce the skin of the chicken multiple times with a fork.
   🕒 06:09
4. Season the chicken with 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and white pepper to taste. Rub thoroughly until the salt and sugar particles dissolve. (Secret Tip!) Sugar helps keep the meat moist, so rub until it's completely dissolved.
   🕒 06:58
5. Further season with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine), and 1 tsp grated ginger. Focus on rubbing into the meat portions.
   🕒 07:37
6. Cover the chicken tightly with plastic wrap, pressing out any air, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
   🕒 09:09
7. Finely shred 1/6 head of cabbage, thinly slice 1/2 red onion, diagonally slice 1/2 cucumber, and tear 1/2 head of lettuce into small pieces by hand.
   🕒 10:05
8. Combine all the cut vegetables in water, drain thoroughly, and chill in the refrigerator.
   🕒 12:06
9. In a shallow dish, combine 6 tbsp potato starch and 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, mixing well to create an even coating.
   🕒 12:49
10. In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and a few drops of Tabasco. Mix well to create the dressing. (Secret Tip!) Omit the Tabasco if serving to children.
    🕒 16:07
11. Carefully pat the marinated chicken dry with paper towels. (Secret Tip!) Drying the chicken prevents oil splattering and ensures an even coating.
    🕒 13:20
12. Generously coat the dried chicken with the prepared flour mixture, ensuring the cuts are also well-coated.
    🕒 13:37
13. Heat frying oil to approximately 150°C (300°F) and carefully place the chicken pieces in the oil, skin-side down.
    🕒 14:08
14. Increase the heat to bring the oil temperature up to about 170°C (340°F) and fry for approximately 13 minutes. (Secret Tip!) For bone-in pieces, start frying at a lower temperature and gradually increase it to prevent the meat around the bone from being undercooked.
    🕒 15:05
15. Flip the chicken pieces once during the frying process.
    🕒 17:19
16. Remove the chicken from the oil and place on a rack for about 3 minutes to rest.
    🕒 19:50
17. Increase the oil temperature to about 180°C (350°F) and fry the rested chicken for another approximately 2 minutes. (Secret Tip!) A final fry at high heat makes the coating crispy and removes excess moisture.
    🕒 20:10
18. Arrange the freshly fried chicken on a plate and serve with the chilled salad.
    🕒 21:16
19. Generously drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad.
    🕒 21:37
20. Garnish with lemon wedges to taste and wrap aluminum foil around the bones of the chicken for a polished finish. Enjoy!
    🕒 21:41