Spicy garlic fried chicken (kkanpunggi)

Step-by-step cooking

Check off a completed step to move to the next one. After the last step, you will move to the finished dish.

1. Step 1

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   Peel, wash and dry the onion, garlic and ginger. Trim and wash the scallion and optional green chili; dry completely. Chop onion, scallion and chili 3–5 mm; mince garlic, grate ginger and snip the dried chilies into thirds, discarding stems. On a separate board, pat 400 g chicken dry without washing, trim excess fat and cut into 2.5 cm pieces. Mix with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, the ginger and ⅛ teaspoon salt; refrigerate 10 minutes.

2. Step 2

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   Mix the remaining soy sauce (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons), 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a clean bowl. In the chicken bowl, fold in 1 egg white, 6 level tablespoons potato starch and the other 1 tablespoon water until a thick coating clings to each piece. Keep raw-batter utensils separate from the sauce.

3. Step 3

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   Use a dry, stable 18 cm deep pot of at least 3 L capacity. Add 5 paper cups frying oil (900 ml); the oil must occupy no more than one-third of the pot. Clip in an oil thermometer and heat to 170°C. Lower chicken pieces away from you in 3–4 uncrowded batches. Fry 5–6 minutes per batch, turning with dry tongs; the largest piece in every batch must reach 74°C. Drain on a rack and let oil return to 170°C before the next batch.

4. Step 4

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   Remove loose batter crumbs with a dry metal spider. Raise the oil to 180°C. Fry the cooked chicken again in small batches for 1–2 minutes until golden and audibly crisp. Drain well on the rack. Lower the heat if oil exceeds 180°C; do not use smoking oil. Turn off the frying burner after the last batch.

5. Step 5

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   In a separate wide pan, warm 1 tablespoon fresh oil over medium heat. Stir garlic, scallion and dried chilies for 30 seconds without browning the garlic. Add onion and optional green chili; stir 1 minute. Pour in the mixed sauce and bubble 30–45 seconds until glossy but still fluid. If the garlic blackens, remake the sauce rather than masking bitterness.

6. Step 6

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   Add the twice-fried chicken and turn with a spatula for just 15–20 seconds, coating rather than soaking it. Turn off the heat and plate immediately, with no pool of sauce underneath. Serve at once; prolonged simmering in the glaze makes the crust soft.