Twice Fried Korean Chicken

When I lived in Korea, there was a shop next to where I worked, that sold fried chicken.  In fried chicken shops you have a choice of two flavours, spicy or soy.  I liked both but preferred the spicy one.  

A few months ago I began to miss Korean food, so on a visit back home to the UK, I visited an Asian shop and picked up some gochujang, the spicy paste that flavours many Korean dishes.  I then began to trawl the internet in search of things to do with the gochujang and on Youtube came across some videos of Korean women making their own versions of fried chicken.  After some experimentation, I have hit upon a formula I like.  I make the batter according to one cook who posts under the name of Maangchi, and I use an approximation of the sauce recipe from Aeriskitchen.

Koreans fry the chicken twice to make it crisper.  Having said that, once it is tossed in the sauce, it loses some crispiness anyway so if you are pushed for time, once may be okay.

I eat this with rice as a main course, but in Korea it would probably be served as a snack with alcoholic drinks.

Ingredients for Korean fried chicken - serves 2-3

1 large chicken breast per person
1tsp salt
large pinch black pepper

half a cup of plain flour
half a cup of corn starch
2 small eggs, beaten

2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
half tbsp olive oil
1tsp gochujang
1 tsp mayonnaise
half tsp sesame oil 
1 tsp sesame seeds

vegetable oil for deep frying

Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and put in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper and mix with hands.  Then add the flours and coat well.  Finally add the egg and mix with your fingers until pieces are coated with a batter.

Heat oil for frying.

In the meantime put the sauce ingredients together in a small frying pan and heat until combined and sugar dissolved.

Start putting the chicken pieces in the oil and fry til just golden.  Drain then fry for a second time until golden-brown and crisp. Drain and mix into the sauce, stirring well until completely coated.

 

Comments

[Rebecca]

Hi - my link to your site is on my other computer (which has been in the shop for over a month grrr) so I've missed a lot! everything looks scrumptious... i made cinnamon rolls over the summer with my mom but had to use gluten-free flour because of her allergy so they weren't quite the same. This chicken looks terrific too, I might try a variation with some other random spicy and goopy things I have around the house.

[Becca's Bistro]

Yes I am sure anything spicy and goopy will work:) I havent found any Korean ingredients yet in Istanbul but there are a few Korean restaurants and there is a Korean ex-pat scene so I havent given up hope yet.

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