Korean Fried Chicken with Hot Dipping Sauce


There's been a lot of deep-fried wings going on in my house lately. I've been experimenting with different recipes to come up with the ultimate crispiest chicken wings and the best Korean chilli dipping sauce, and so far, nobody's been complaining. I finally got it down to using a batter made with self-raising flour, rice flour and glutinous rice flour to achieve a light and crisp layer on the wings. The double-frying simply maximises the crunch factor (and I think it prolongs the crispiness too). One of our favourite places for Korean Fried Chicken is Stra Pocha in Strathfield, where you can ask for their special chilli sauce for dipping the wings in. We love the sauce, and I'm happy that my version of it comes quite close - sweet and spicy with a lot of heat from the red peppers.
 
Let me tempt you with some photos....


Isn't the sauce looking lovely? You can bet those wings are crispy too!


I prefer to serve the chilli sauce on the side, rather than toss the chicken into the sauce as they are sometimes served. That way, the wings stay crisp and crunchy, and it's less messy too if you're eating with your  hands (that's the only way to eat chicken wings!).

Here's the recipe for these delicious wings. Enjoy!

Crispy-battered Korean Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1kg (2 pounds) chicken wings
Salt
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Batter:
1/4 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp glutinous rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water (approx)
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Dipping sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), extra hot/spicy
2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp corn syrup (or substitute with sugar)
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water

Method

Prepare the sauce by combining the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for about 1 minute until it's thick and glossy. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Set aside.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with 1/2 tbsp salt and leave for 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture and shake off excess salt.

Combine ingredients for batter in a bowl and mix until smooth.

Heat oil in a wok for deep-frying. Dip wings into batter and let excess batter drip off. Slowly drop it into the hot oil (on medium-high heat), and repeat with more wings. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked (about 8-10 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper.

When all the wings have been cooked and are resting a plate lined with kitchen paper, turn up the heat to high. Fry the wings a second time for 1-2 minutes to crisp them up further. Drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a plate. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce for maximum enjoyment.


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