Korean Fried Chicken Wings

3 from 3 ratings

"Before anyone points out that my last book was on healthy eating and I now have Korean fried chicken on the menu, I’m not suggesting you eat this every day. I don’t even eat it once a month. But when I do, I bloody love it. Hot, sweet, dark, messy, and wickedly good. I am not a fan of deep-frying—I get the children to stand by with a fire blanket when the fat gets to that rolling stage—but sometimes it is worth the effort (and I did try various “oven-baked” versions to make life easier for you, but they didn’t cut the mustard). This is Friday night food, but it’s not for cooking when you’re in a hurry. Best if two of you can share the deep-frying duties. Get the beers in, guys." - Diana Henry, author of A Bird in the Hand: Chicken Recipes for Every Day and Every MoodClick here for more of our best chicken recipes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, grated
1 -inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated
4 1/2 tablespoon korean chili paste (gochujang)
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoon soft dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
chicken wings, tips removed if you prefer (3 pounds and 5 ounces total)
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
sesame seeds, to scatter
2 scallions, minced

Directions

Put everything for the sauce into a saucepan over low heat and heat gently, stirring a little to help the sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. It should be quite thick.
Mix the all-purpose flour and rice flour together in a bowl. Toss the chicken wings in this and shake off the excess. Add about  3 inches of oil to a deep pan and heat to 325 degrees F. Add a batch of chicken wings (cook the chicken in 3 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan  — if you do, the temperature of the oil drops immediately) and cook these for 6 minutes at this temperature (keep an eye on the temperature and reduce the heat or pull the pan off of the heat for a little while if necessary). As each batch is done, transfer to a metal rack set over layers of paper towels.
Now heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Put the wings back into the oil (again in 3 batches) and cook them for another 5 minutes. Transfer them again to the rack and let the excess oil drip off onto the paper towels. Paint them all over with the sauce, put them on a plate, and scatter them with the sesame seeds and scallions. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.