A savory classic of Peruvian chifa: crisp chicken cut into pieces and covered with a dark soy, ginger, and oyster sauce. The crust yields just slightly beneath the glossy sauce while the center stays juicy and toasted sesame finishes the aroma. It is the kind of dish meant for sharing that somehow ends with everyone negotiating over the last pieces.
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Pat the chicken thighs dry and butterfly any especially thick sections so the pieces have an even thickness. Finely chop the garlic, grate the ginger, and separate the white and green parts of the scallions.
Mix the chicken with two fifths of the soy sauce, one quarter of the oyster sauce, half of the garlic, two fifths of the ginger, one third of the sesame oil, two fifths of the sugar, three fifths of the Chinese five-spice, all of the white pepper, and half of the salt. Massage for 30 seconds and rest for 15 minutes.
Beat the egg and toss it with the marinated chicken until lightly coated. Dredge each piece in almost all of the potato starch, pressing on a thin layer and shaking off the excess. Heat almost all of the vegetable oil in a wide skillet and fry in batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the crust is deeply golden and crisp and the center of the chicken reaches 74°C. Transfer to paper towels and rest for 3 minutes.
Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a medium pot. Cook the white part of the scallions, the remaining garlic, and ginger for 45 seconds without browning them. Add four fifths of the chicken stock, the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, Chinese five-spice, and salt. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the ginger aroma settles into the sauce and the liquid looks dark and even.
Whisk the remaining potato starch into the remaining chicken stock until completely smooth. Pour it gradually into the sauce while stirring and cook for 45 to 60 seconds, only until the sauce becomes glossy, silky, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining sesame oil; do not keep boiling once thickened.
Cut the rested chicken into thick strips or bite-size pieces and arrange it on a platter. Spoon the hot sauce over the top just before serving and finish with the green part of the scallions and the sesame seeds. The sauce should cling to the crust without forming a heavy layer: silky on top, still crisp underneath. The last piece rarely gets the chance to cool down.
