Korean Style Fried Chicken Food

KOREAN STYLE FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, cut the game hen in half on the breast side. Using the palms of your hands, flatten the bird pressing firmly to dislocate the hip joints. Use a sharp knife and make one 2" slice into the breast meat under the wing. This will allow it to cook more evenly.
• Pat the bird dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with seasoning salt, salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
• In a large bowl whisk together the frying powder mix and water until there are no lumps.
• In a large dutch oven or deep fryer heat a few inches of vegetable oil to 338˚F (170˚C). Leave a couple inches of head room to prevent the oil from bubbling over.
• Dip the seasoned bird into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off.
• With a pair of tongs slowly lower the bird into the oil. Hold it in the oil for a few seconds before letting it go. This allows the batter to harden a bit and helps keep it from sticking to the bottom.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove bits of fried batter. Fry for 12 minutes, carefully turning a few times during cooking.
• Drain the bird on to a rack. Bring the oil back up to 338˚F (170˚C).
• Return the game hen to the hot oil and fry for another 5 minutes. Occasionally, flip and turn while cooking to ensure even browning.
• Drain on a rack. Sprinkle with an additional shake of salt and pepper. Serve warm along with daikon radish pickles.

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Stir chicken, onion, garlic, fine salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl until chicken is coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 4 hours to overnight.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 340 degrees F (171 degrees C).
• Whisk cornstarch, flour, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Gradually whisk ice water into flour in until mixture resembles a smooth pancake batter. Transfer chicken to batter and stir to coat chicken completely.
• Working in batches, cook chicken in preheated oil for 4 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a cooling rack.
• Increase oil temperature in the deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Working in batches, cook chicken again in hot oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.

KOREAN MARKET-STYLE FRIED CHICKEN (SIJANG-TONGDAK: 시장통닭)

Steps:

• With a sharp kitchen knife or scissors, snip the flesh between the thigh and the body and around the wing of each chicken half. Evenly season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or overnight. But if you are busy you can go next step right away. Evenly coat with ¼ cup flour. Combine the batter ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk or mix well with a spoon until there are no lumps. Add all the dipping ingredients in a small, shallow bowl. Set aside.
• Heat 2 inches of cooking oil in a fry pan or pot until it reaches 350ºF (I used my 5 quart cast iron pot). Add the onion chunks and fry until brown. Remove the onion with tongs or skimmer. Whisk the batter again so it's well-mixed and then and dip one chicken half so it's evenly coated. Lift the chicken and let the batter drip off, then put it into the hot oil. Let cook for 2 minutes and then turn it over with tongs. Fry for another 10 minutes, turning over occasionally. Take it out and put it on a wire mesh strainer over a stainless steel bowl. Repeat with the other chicken half.
• Heat up the oil again to 350ºF (about 30 seconds to 1 minute) and add a chicken half. When the oil starts bubbling vigorously, grab the chicken with your tongs in one hand, and with your kitchen scissors in the other hand cut some slashes into the thick thigh and breast. This will help the chicken cook thoroughly, make it more crispy and crunchy, and make it look more appetizing. Fry the chicken 10 to 11 more minutes, turning over occasionally. Take it out and put it in a mesh strainer lined with paper towels, and fry the other chicken half.
• Serve right away with chicken-mu and the dip. To use the dip you touch an edge of the chicken in the salt and then bite into it. Eat a piece of chicken-mu in between bites of chicken. Serve with beer or Coke, if you like them

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the sauce, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer gently until syrupy, so around 3-4 mins. Take off the heat and set aside.
• Season the chicken wings with salt, pepper and the grated ginger. Toss the chicken with the cornflour until completely coated.
• Heat about 2cm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium/high heat. Fry the chicken wings for 8-10 mins until crisp, turning halfway. Remove from the oil and place on kitchen paper. Leave to cool slightly (around 2 mins).
• Reheat the sauce, and toss the crispy chicken wings in it. Tip into a bowl and top with the sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Mix together, cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour (up to over night)
• Preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep cooked chicken warm). Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or preheat your deep fat fryer) until hot (you can test by dropping a small cube of bread in there, if it rises immediately to the top and starts to bubble rapidly, it's hot enough). You'll need at least 1 litre (4 cup) of oil.
• Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl.
• Take the chicken out of the fridge. Lift a piece from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge the chicken in the crispy coating mixture - ensuring it's fully covered. Place on a tray and repeat until all of the chicken is coated.
• Once the oil is hot enough, add in 5 or 6 of the chicken tenders. You can add more or less depending on the size of your pan, just be sure not to overcrowd the chicken.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the middle. You can check this by cutting open a piece of chicken, if it's no longer pink in the middle, it's cooked.
• Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you cook the rest of the chicken. **If you want to ensure the chicken stays extra crispy whilst in the oven, see my 'Top Tips for Success' section in the post.
• Meanwhile make the sauce. Place the gochujang, honey, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil and sesame oil in a saucepan and stir together.
• Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
• Pour over the crispy chicken and carefully toss together, then top with the spring onions, chilli flakes and sesame seeds before serving.

ULTIMATE KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the pickled radish cubes: Combine the rice vinegar, water, superfine sugar and salt in a large bowl, whisking until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the radish cubes and toss to coat. Leave at room temperature, covered, for 24 hours. Then refrigerate.
• For the pre-coating: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, baking powder and pepper. Add the chicken and toss well until evenly coated in all areas. Transfer the chicken to a rack, shaking the chicken well to get rid of any excess coating. Let rest, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• For the gochujang sauce: Combine the brown sugar, chile paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow to cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• For the sweet soy sauce: Heat the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, chile flakes and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved; allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and whisk into the sauce. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the batter: Pour enough oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil reads 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, matzo meal, flour, chile flakes, salt, garlic granules, onion granules and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the water, vodka and chile paste. Just before frying, whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture. The consistency should be relatively thin and runny.
• Working in 2 batches, dip each piece of chicken into the batter, letting excess batter drip off. Suspend the chicken in the oil for a couple of seconds for it to set before letting it slip completely into the oil, otherwise the chicken will fall and stick to the bottom of the pot. Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to drain as done.
• Serve with the sauces on the side.