Jalapeno-Pickle Fried Chicken Bites with Soy Garlic Honey Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered or cut into large bites
• 1¼ cup dill pickle juice
• ¼ cup pickled jalapeno juice, plus a few sliced jalapenos from the jar
• 1 large egg - it helps the coating stick
• 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour - Bob's Red Mill blue bag
• ½ cup potato starch
• ½ cup rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika, for the seasoning dust
• 1½ tsp garlic powder, for the seasoning dust
• 1½ tsp onion powder, for the seasoning dust
• ¾ tsp kosher salt, for the seasoning dust - kept low because the brine is salty
• 1 tsp black pepper, for the seasoning dust
• ½ tsp cayenne, for the seasoning dust
• ½ tsp celery salt, for the seasoning dust
• ½ cup gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, for the sauce (check the label for GF)
• ½ cup honey, for the sauce
• ¼ cup water, for the sauce
• 2 tbsp dry sherry or gluten-free mirin, for the sauce (check the label for GF)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, for the sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar, for the sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water, for the sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, stirred in at the end
• canola, peanut or corn oil, for frying