Ga vien chien xu suits a family dinner with children at the table, since the balls are small enough to eat in one bite. The crust crackles and the chicken breast inside stays soft and sweet.
The difficulty is the mince, because meat that is not fine enough gives crumbly balls that break up in the pan. A little oil rubbed onto gloved hands keeps the mixture from sticking and gives a smoother surface. The oil has to be at a full boil before the balls go in.
This batch weighs about 672g, at roughly 148 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 400g chicken breast in salted water to clear any odor, rinse again in clean water and drain. Cut it into small pieces, then blend or chop it until very fine and smooth.
Chop 2 spring onions, slice 2 chilies into thin rings and mince 3 shallots.
Mix the spring onion, chili and shallot into the chicken along with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 egg.
Add 30g all purpose flour and mix until the mixture is even and smooth.
Put on gloves, rub them with a little cooking oil, then roll the mixture into small bite sized balls.
Beat the remaining egg and tip 50g panko breadcrumbs into a bowl. Dip each ball in the egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs.
Set a pan over the heat and fill it halfway with oil. Once the oil is at a full boil, fry the balls until golden and crisp, then lift them onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Tips
A little oil on the gloves gives a smooth surface and stops the mixture sticking.
Draining the balls on a rack or on paper towel straight away takes off the excess oil.
Grind the chicken breast completely smooth, as any coarse bits leave the balls crumbly and they fall apart in the pan.
The oil has to be properly hot before the chicken goes in, since lukewarm oil soaks into the crust and softens it.
Frying in small batches keeps the oil temperature from dropping.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.