Chicken and Vegetables in Black Vinegar Sauce

Steps

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1. 1
   Trim excess skin and tendons from the chicken thighs, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a plastic bag with grated ginger, grated garlic, sake, salt, and pepper. Massage thoroughly to coat and marinate until the vegetables are ready to cut.
   ▶ ≈1:58
2. 2
   Peel the lotus root and slice into rounds approximately 7mm thick. Rinse and soak in water for about 5 minutes to prevent discoloration.
   ▶ ≈3:33
3. 3
   Cut the eggplant into chunks. Prepare a bowl of salt water (approximately 1 teaspoon salt) and soak the eggplant for about 5 minutes to remove bitterness and reduce oil absorption.
   ▶ ≈4:13
4. 4
   Peel the carrot and cut into bite-sized chunks. Cut onion into halves and then into bite-sized pieces. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into chunks.
   ▶ ≈5:05
5. 5
   Remove the lotus root and eggplant from their soaking liquids and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Ensure all moisture is removed to prevent oil splatters.
   ▶ ≈6:10
6. 6
   Remove the marinated chicken from the plastic bag and dust with 2 tablespoons of potato starch. Gently toss to coat evenly.
   ▶ ≈6:37
7. 7
   In a bowl, combine water, black vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of potato starch. Mix well and set aside.
   ▶ ≈6:49
8. 8
   Add about 1cm of oil to a pan and heat to approximately 170°C over medium heat. Deep-fry the ingredients in order: carrots for about 3 minutes, lotus root for about 2 minutes, bell peppers and onion together for about 1-1.5 minutes, eggplant for about 2-2.5 minutes, and finally chicken for about 4 minutes, increasing the heat slightly in the last 30 seconds for crispiness.
   ▶ ≈7:20
9. 9
   Drain the fried ingredients and place in a skillet. Remix the black vinegar sauce to ensure the potato starch is fully distributed, then pour over the ingredients. Heat over medium heat and toss for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats everything evenly. Turn off the heat and serve.
   ▶ ≈12:01