Korean Fried Chicken 2, the spicy version

I received a revelation (?).
"Thou shall make another KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), nevertheless it shall be spicy...".
It was a still small voice that came from my hungry stomach, ha ha ha!
I had posted a non-spicy version of KFC and this is a sequel episode.


Chicken is our global protein source.
Some people don't eat pork and some don't eat beef for their religious belief.
Some people don't eat fish nor seafood because they are not used to, and some don't eat tofu because they just can't stand it.
But, chicken?
Everyone in this planet eat chicken at least 2-3 times a week I bet.., except those who are vegetarians, or those who witnessed the murdering of chicken.
I sometimes wonder if our chickens ever realize how popular they are in this world.

"EAT MOR CHIKIN!!!"

Anyhow, Koreans love their chicken fried just like Col. Sanders in Kentucky did in his.
This spicy fried chicken is one of our favorite, and it will make you lick your fingers off!

It is not overly spicy either for your sake.
Then, of course, you can hide a tablespoon of cayenne chili powder in the sauce to knock off your husband's buddies who come over for Superbowl game and claims your brand new HD flat screen TV as if their own.


 Stuff you need:

2 lb chicken drummettes and wings
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
canola oil for frying
2 tablespoon chopped walnut, peanut, or almond for garnish

Sauce:

1/2 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves
1/4" slice fresh ginger, or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
4 tablespoon Korean chili paste
2 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium if possible)
2-3 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon rice wine
3 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon strawberry or apricot preserve or jam
2 tsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
2 tablespoon corn syrup

Here is how;

"May I take your coat?"
This step is totally optional and depends on your preference.
I would remove the skin of these wings since they will enter to my family's stomach.
If you like the skin, don't bother...

 Season your lovely chicken with some ginger, rice wine, salt and pepper. Set aside.

 In a blender combine onion, ginger, garlic.

 Spin their lives together until smooth.

 Grab these sauce ingredients.

 This is strawberry preservative. Apricot is another good option.
Yes, I know..., it is quite a random thing to add in Korean chicken recipe, but trust me. I know what I am doing.

 Combine them all together in a sauce pan.

 You might want to smash the strawberry chunks if there are any.

Bring them to gentle boil...

 and simmer for 3-4 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally until it gets slightly thicken.
Taste the sauce!  You will so madly fall in love that you will want to drizzle on your ice cream.
Set aside.

 Go back to your lonely chicken. Put them in a zip lock back with some corn starch.

 Shake them, babe!

 Drop your chicken in a hot frying oil and cook for 3-5 minutes.
I like to deep fry twice.

 After first frying, the color is somewhat unappealing and less crunch.
Put them back in the hot oil and fry for second time, about 2-3 minutes. 

 After second frying.  This is what we call NGB; nice golden brown.

 Smother the fried chicken with the sauce. Just toss them around in a pot.

 Sprinkle some nuts of your choice as garnish. I used walnuts and sesame seeds. Almonds, peanuts, pine nuts are good options, too.

Sticky?

Yes, very sticky. 

So make sure your fingers are religiously clean to be worth of licking.

The strawberry preserve in the sauce will give the

"je ne sais quoi" that no one can guess.

Now, even though I made both versions of spicy and non-spicy KFC

I still can't decide which one I like better.

To be spicy, or not to be spicy,

that is the question.

Oh, Hamlet

Where are thou?

Need a printable recipe? Click here