Dakgangjeong (Korean Fried Chicken Wings)
By Andrea GearyPublished on May 23, 2016
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish
Ingredients
Before You Begin
A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste. Our favorite rasp-style grater is the Microplane Classic Zester Grater. Gochujang, a Korean chile-soybean paste, can be found in Korean markets and in some supermarkets. Tailor the heat level of your wings by adjusting its amount. If you can’t find gochujang, substitute an equal amount of sriracha sauce and add only 2 tablespoons of water to the sauce. For a complete meal, serve with steamed white rice and a slaw.
Instructions
- Combine sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in large bowl and microwave until mixture is bubbly and garlic and ginger are fragrant but not browned, 40 to 60 seconds. Whisk in ¼ cup water, sugar, gochujang, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. While oil heats, whisk flour, cornstarch, and remaining 1½ cups water in second large bowl until smooth. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- Place half of wings in batter and stir to coat. Using tongs, remove wings from batter one at a time, allowing any excess batter to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent wings from sticking, until coating is light golden and beginning to crisp, about 7 minutes. (Oil temperature will drop sharply after adding wings.) Transfer wings to prepared rack. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining wings. Reduce heat to medium and let second batch of wings rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees. Carefully return all wings to oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and very crispy, about 7 minutes. Return wings to rack and let stand for 2 minutes. Transfer wings to reserved sauce and toss until coated. Return wings to rack and let stand for 2 minutes to allow coating to set. Transfer to platter and serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6 as a main dishIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
A thin, crispy exterior and a spicy-sweet-salty sauce are the hallmarks of dakgangjeong. The biggest challenge is preventing the sauce from destroying the crust. We dunk the wings (which cook quickly and offer a high skin-to-meat ratio for maximum crunch) in a loose batter of flour, cornstarch, and water, which clings nicely to the chicken and fries up brown and crispy. To help the coating withstand a wet sauce, we double-fry the wings, which removes more water from the skin than a single fry does, making the coating extra-crispy. The Korean chile paste known as gochujang gives our sauce the proper spicy, fermented notes, while sugar tempers the heat, and garlic and ginger—cooked briefly with sesame oil—provide depth.
Before You Begin
A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste. Our favorite rasp-style grater is the Microplane Classic Zester Grater. Gochujang, a Korean chile-soybean paste, can be found in Korean markets and in some supermarkets. Tailor the heat level of your wings by adjusting its amount. If you can’t find gochujang, substitute an equal amount of sriracha sauce and add only 2 tablespoons of water to the sauce. For a complete meal, serve with steamed white rice and a slaw.
Instructions
- Combine sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in large bowl and microwave until mixture is bubbly and garlic and ginger are fragrant but not browned, 40 to 60 seconds. Whisk in ¼ cup water, sugar, gochujang, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. While oil heats, whisk flour, cornstarch, and remaining 1½ cups water in second large bowl until smooth. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- Place half of wings in batter and stir to coat. Using tongs, remove wings from batter one at a time, allowing any excess batter to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent wings from sticking, until coating is light golden and beginning to crisp, about 7 minutes. (Oil temperature will drop sharply after adding wings.) Transfer wings to prepared rack. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining wings. Reduce heat to medium and let second batch of wings rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees. Carefully return all wings to oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and very crispy, about 7 minutes. Return wings to rack and let stand for 2 minutes. Transfer wings to reserved sauce and toss until coated. Return wings to rack and let stand for 2 minutes to allow coating to set. Transfer to platter and serve.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Keep Exploring
0 Comments