When I went to Korea, there were many things that impressed me, but perhaps the only thing I wished I could take home with me was their incredible fried chicken. Korean fried chicken is crunchier and nowhere near as greasy as the American fried chicken that you and I are used to. How is this so? The Korean secret is to fry the chicken TWICE. This technique, coupled with that trademark sweet yet spicy Korean sauce makes Korean fried chicken the real K.F.C.
Watch this easy instructional video and then scroll down to see the recipe. Enjoy your cooking!
Ingredients
For the chicken
• 1.3lbs (600g) chicken thighs (without skins and bones)
• 3 tbsp. cornflour
• 2 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable oil
For the glaze
• 1 fresh red chili pepper
• 3 tbsp. runny honey
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce (light)
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 3-4 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. fermented chili paste
For serving
• 3 tbsp. shelled peanuts
• 2 sliced spring onions
Directions
1. First, we want to coat the chicken. In a big bowl mix the salt, pepper, ginger powder and cornflour together. Trim away any fat from the chicken, then slice them into quarters. Toss your chicken pieces into the mixture.
2. To make the sauce, add into a small saucepan all the glaze ingredients. Bring it to a boil and reduce for 10 minutes. Then place it to one side off the heat.
3. We are going to fry the chicken twice, so first preheat a large saucepan half-full with the oil at a temperature of around 340°F (170°C). For five minutes, fry the chicken. Then remove and place on a kitchen roll lined tray.
4. Now bring the oil back up to 370°F (190°C) and fry for a further 4 minutes before adding the peanuts. Wait a further minute and take off the heat, draining the chicken on some more kitchen roll.
5. Bring the sauce back to a boil and in a bowl pour it over your fried chicken. Give everything a good covering of sauce then add the spring onion slices and serve immediately. The Koreans like to enjoy a nice cold beer with their fried chicken, so that's what you should think about doing too!
