Korean Fried Chicken

Hi All! We’re ending “Deep-Fry Fest” week over at SFB and leaving you all with this gem of a recipe….Korean.Fried.Chicken. It’s a fun take on the classic buffalo wings that everyone seems to love oh so much (rightfully so)…especially for the super bowl. If you love wings you’ll love this simple and AWESOME take on fried chicken. You would think that battering the wings before frying would leave you with oily and heavy fried chicken, but it’s totally not true…it’s the opposite. The batter actually helps make the chicken super light and extra crispy…crunchy is probably a better word…but not like gross crunchy…just super crisp. You know crunchy sound effects they use on tv? I bet they use Korean fried chicken to make that crunchy food sound effect…Are you all getting that this is super crisp chicken? Have I beaten that into your heads enough? Just a little?

Korean Fried Chicken
Serves 4 to 6

spicy Korean bbq sauce:
¼ cup gochugang (Korean Chile Paste)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
honey-soy sauce:
¼ cup honey
2 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
classic buffalo wing sauce:
¾ cup Franks red hot sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
garnish:
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

24 chicken wing pieces
1 cup sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ¼ cup cold water
salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
1. Preheat oil to 350°F.
2. For the spicy Korean bbq sauce: Place all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
3. For the honey-soy sauce: Place all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
4. For the classic buffalo wing sauce: Place Franks and melted butter into a bowl and stir together. Set aside.
5. Sift together the flour and cornstarch into a mixing bowl. Whisk in water until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
6. Dip each wing into the batter and shake to remove any excess. Carefully drop each battered wing into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes (this will have to be done in batches).
7. Drain onto paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Once all wings have been fried, place wings back into the fryer and fry a second time (double fry) for 5 to 7 minutes or until light golden brown and crispy. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
8. Using a pastry brush, paint each wing with a small amount of the spicy bbq sauce or honey-soy sauce and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

9. **If using the classic wing sauce, place wings into the bowl with the Franks and butter and toss together until fully coated. Serve immediately.