Chris' Garlic Chicken

Chris and I first met on Molokai just outside Kaunakakai but we continue bump into each other on a regular basis around Honolulu. He's quiet at first, inscrutable, but time and talk story reveal a man of well-formed convictions. Still waters run deep and all that. Best of all, he has a talent from cooking the most amazing meals from just a few, simple ingredients. Chris and his wife Joslyn recently made this garlic chicken for a group of us.

I became an instant addict.

Chris' Garlic Chicken

• 1/4 c. sweet shoyu (thicker than normal soy sauce)
• 1/4 c. Japanese shoyu
• 4 large cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 c. sliced green onion
• 1 c. flour
• boneless chicken thighs or breasts cut into large chunks
• cooking oil

Prepare the sauce by combining the shoyus, sliced green onion and fresh crushed garlic in a small saucepan. Bring the sauce just up to a simmer then remove from heat. This takes the edge off the garlic.

Put flour in ziplock bag and shake the chicken pieces around to coat thoroughly. Fry the chicken in an inch of oil at medium high heat until golden brown. Remove the chicken and drain briefly on paper towels. Give the fried chicken a quick dip in the sauce and pull it back out. If you let it sit even a few seconds in the sauce it'll become soggy. Serve immediately, and try not to eat too many on your way to the table.