Spiced Chicken And Water-Chestnut Meatballs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 lb ground chicken breast
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon thai-style green chili paste
salt and pepper

Preparation

In a shallow dish such as a pie plate, reserve 3/4 cup of the panko.
In a large mixing bowl, mix chicken, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, chili paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the remaining 11/2 cups of panko until uniform.
With wet hands, form the mixture into 26 to 30 meatballs about 11/4 inches in diameter. Roll the meatballs in the reserved panko to coat each.
Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 1/2 cups canola oil until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer.
Carefully add about half of the meatballs and fry until deep golden brown all over, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Allow oil to return to 350 degrees and fry and drain the remaining meatballs.
Transfer the meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until they are cooked through (160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), about 7 minutes.
Transfer to serving platter and serve hot or warm.