1. Peel the aubergines, then cut them into large chunks. I like to halve them lengthways, then halve each piece lengthways again, before cutting each quarter into four chunks.
2. Place the aubergine in a colander or large sieve. Sprinkle over the salt, toss to coat and leave to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Don’t skip this step – it’s important for achieving maximum crispiness.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice the chilli, galangal (or ginger) and garlic and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, oyster sauce, water and fish sauce and set aside.
4. Fill a large, wide sauté pan or deep frying pan halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 160°C. Set a wire rack over a large tray.
5. Transfer the aubergine to a clean tea towel and pat dry to remove any surface moisture. Transfer to a large bowl, add the tapioca flour and toss until evenly coated.
6. Working in two batches, carefully lower the aubergine into the oil one piece at a time, shaking off any excess tapioca flour as you go. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until pale, slightly firm on the outside and tender in the middle. Transfer to the wire rack to drain.
7. The coating will be quite sticky at the above stage, so avoid moving the aubergine around too much while frying. If pieces have stuck together, gently separate them with two spoons once they’ve been transferred to the rack.
8. Repeat with the remaining aubergine.
9. Increase the oil temperature to 190°C.
10. Meanwhile, heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the chilli, galangal (or ginger) and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.
11. Add the oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly reduced and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
12. Working in batches again, fry the aubergine for a second time for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer back to the wire rack.
13. Return the wok to high heat. Once the glaze is bubbling, add the crispy aubergine and toss to coat. Remove from the heat, add the Thai basil and toss once more until the basil has wilted slightly.
14. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately, ideally with steamed rice. The aubergine won’t stay crispy forever, but even once it softens, it remains outrageously delicious.

Air Fryer Method

1. Whenever I share a deep-fried recipe, the first question I get is: can I air fry it? In this case, yes – but the aubergine won’t stay crispy for quite as long.
2. Prepare the aubergine as above, including the salting, drying and coating with tapioca flour.
3. Preheat your air fryer to 200°C. Lightly oil the rack or basket.
4. You’ll need to work in batches unless you have a dual-drawer air fryer. It’s important that the aubergine pieces don’t touch, otherwise they’ll stick together.
5. Arrange the aubergine in a single layer and lightly spray or drizzle with vegetable oil. Air fry for 10 minutes, then turn each piece, spray or drizzle with a little more oil and air fry for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
6. Continue with the recipe from the point of making the glaze and tossing the aubergine through it.