The day before (or at least the morning of), combine the sugar, salt, and candied ginger in 3 quarts of boiling water. Stir until everything dissolves, then refrigerate until cold.

Once the brine is chilled, add the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour while the chicken absorbs all that magical flavor.

While the chicken brines, whisk together the cornstarch, water, pepper, and salt until smooth. This batter is your crispy armor. Pop it in the fridge while the chicken does its brining thing.

Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat each piece dry. Sift a little extra cornstarch and coat each chicken piece evenly. Place them on the rack and let them rest for at least 10 minutes while you heat the oil.

Fill a Dutch oven with oil about 2 inches deep and heat to 350°F. Give the batter a quick whisk to re-combine, then dunk half the chicken pieces, making sure they’re fully coated.

Gently place the battered chicken into the hot oil and fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from sticking together. (Don’t worry if they’re not fully cooked yet—this is just the first fry!)

Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken and batter. Let each batch rest for 5-7 minutes while the oil comes back up to 350°F.

Return the first batch of chicken to the oil and fry for another 5-7 minutes until it’s crispy and golden. Transfer to a clean wire rack and repeat with the second batch.

Combine the maple syrup and Sriracha in a large bowl. Microwave until hot and slightly thickened. Working one piece at a time, dunk each chicken piece into the glaze, ensuring it’s fully coated, then return it to the wire rack, skin side up, to drain slightly.

Serve your sweet-and-spicy masterpiece hot. Pair with waffles if you’re feeling extra fancy, or just dig in as is. Either way, it’s going to be amazing.