(Sijang tongdak) Korean market-style fried chicken. Doesn't use a coating sauce. I haven't yet concrete ideas for rendering this gluten-free, guess I'll try substituting cornstarch, rice flour or more potato starch? I ordered the roasted soybean powder; apparently, it's a pretty important flavor addition—a secret weapon, if you wish.
I got this recipe as "market-style" chicken. I don't know but what you can buy smaller pieces of chicken around the market also, but if you opt to change the recipe for smaller pieces, make them a bit more uniform and fry for less time? Besides, I have eaten Korean fried chicken made with white meat and dark. Dark is waaaaay better. So, I use easy, boneless thigh meat and drumsticks.
Note: if careless and you make the pieces too big and fat, you risk undercooking them and parts will be raw. Yup, I did this once and I had Koreans over for dinner that night. Gaaaaargh!
| 3 lbs | whole chicken, cut into halves lengthwise |
| ¾ tsp | kosher salt |
| ½ tsp | ground black pepper |
| ¼ cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1 small | onion, cut into chunks |
| — | cooking oil for frying |
| ¼ cup | potato starch |
| 2 tbsp | all-purpose flour |
| 2 tbsp | roasted soybean powder* |
| ¼ tsp | baking soda |
| ¼ tsp | kosher salt |
| 1 large | egg |
| ½ cup | icy cold water |
See Korean BBQ Sauce.
1. Cut chicken in half, snip flesh between thigh and body and wing and body without separating them from the body. Season with Kosher salt and pepper, refrigerate overnight.
2. Evenly coat the chicken with flour and allow the flour to hydrate at the expense of the chicken.
3. During this time, make the batter whisking well, no lumps. Prepare also some BBQ sauce.
1. Heat a couple of inches of oil to 350°. Drop in large slices of onion, fry until brown. Remove.
2. Whisk batter again, dip one chicken half and coat evenly. Lift and égouter. Put carefully into hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes, then turn over. Fry for 10 minutes turning occasionally. Égouter.
3. Repeat previous step for second half.
1. Reheat oil.
2. Drop one chicken half into oil. With scissors, cut deeply into thick muscle parts of the chicken to help it cook through.
3. Fry for 10 minutes more turning occasionally. Égouter.
4. Repeat previous steps for second half.
Serve with BBQ sauce.
* Store roasted soybean powder in an air-tight container in your freezer.