Korean fried chicken

Before you start

• oil for frying — a deep pan no more than a third full
• fried twice with a rest between, so allow forty minutes end to end

Ingredients

Serves 2 · dimmer marks are storecupboard

• 400gchicken thighs — boneless, cut into big bite pieces
• 40gplain flour
• 40gcornflour
• 3 tbspoil for frying
• 3 tbspgochujang
• 2 tbsphoney
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbsprice vinegar
• 5garlic cloves
• 1 thumbginger
• 1 tbspsesame seeds
• 100gpickled radish — the yellow cubes — they are there to cut the sauce

Method

7 steps

1. chop · 8m

   Chicken into pieces about the size of a walnut, patted properly dry, salted and peppered. Garlic and ginger minced fine.

2. fold · 6m

   Flour and cornflour mixed half and half, the chicken turned through it, and then a tablespoon of water flicked in and rubbed through so the coating goes shaggy and clings in ragged patches. Smooth coating gives smooth crust, and smooth crust is not the point.

3. fry · 9m

   Oil into a deep pan, a third full at most, brought to a steady medium heat, and never moved while it is hot. Chicken in a few pieces at a time so the temperature holds, fried until pale gold and cooked right through with no pink at the centre of the biggest piece.

4. rest · 12m walk away

   Lifted onto a rack and left while the oil comes back up to heat. This gap is what dries the surface, and skipping it is why home fried chicken goes limp.

5. simmer · 6m

   Gochujang, honey, soy, vinegar, garlic and ginger warmed together in a wide pan until it just thickens enough to coat a spoon.

6. fry · 6m

   Second fry, hotter and much shorter, until the shell is deep amber and hard to the tap of a spoon.

7. finish · 3m

   Straight into the warm sauce off the heat and tossed, sesame over, eaten immediately — the crust has about ten good minutes once the sauce touches it, and the pickled radish beside it is not a garnish.