Korean Fried Chicken

Traditionally, any time that Ginny and I get together, there is a fair amount of cooking involved. So, it goes without saying that even though we tried to make our recent visit a little less food-oriented than usual, it didn’t work. We had the cheese to make, of course, and the fried pickles....and then, right before Ty and I drove out, I made the mistake of catching up on my blog reading and found this recipe for Korean Fried Chicken.

Since I have a friend who is half Korean and long ago fell in love with her mother’s cooking, any time I see a recipe that hints at being remotely Korean, I have to try it. And man oh man, did this look scrumptious. Those boys over at The Bitten Word sure know how to make you drool. They have quite a penchant for cooking magazines, as do I, so I am frequently checking back to see what they have picked out of the latest editions.

Admittedly, Ginny and I had a tiny bit of difficulty locating the Korean sauce the recipe calls for, but fear not! The Aoeshe store in Iowa City took care of us and we trucked on back to her place to get the oil going.

The key to this recipe, without a doubt, is the double frying. With a simple batter coating, they were a snap to get together. The longest part of the process was just frying them in batches small enough that the oil temperature didn’t drop too dramatically.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, is the sauce. Spicy and tangy, with just an undertone of vinegar, these little gems were gone in the blink of an eye, with only the BBQ smears around our mouths as evidence.

This is a recipe you will be sorely tempted to make for your friends, but I will caution you against it....if you do that, you’ll have to share. Keep it to yourself, that way there will be more for you! Oh, and don’t even think about asking me how they handle being reheated. I wouldn’t know. They are lucky they made it to my plate, let alone the fridge.

Korean Fried Chicken

Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying

5 cloves garlic

1 1 1⁄2" piece peeled ginger

3 tbsp. soy sauce

3 tbsp. gojujang (Korean chile paste)

1 1⁄2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil

1 tbsp. honey

2⁄3 cup flour

1 tbsp. cornstarch

16 chicken wings (about 1 3⁄4 lbs.)

Preparation

1. Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350˚. Chop garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add soy, gojujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; purée. Put sauce into a bowl.


2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and 2⁄3 cup water in another bowl. Add chicken; toss. Working in 3 batches, fry chicken until golden, 6–8 minutes.Drain on paper towels. Return oil to 350˚. Fry chicken until crisp, 6–8 minutes more. Drain again. Toss chicken in sauce. And then? Devour....