Dennis Lee may be the new Colonel Sanders. The Namu Gaji chef’s Korean Fried Chicken (KFC), available on the restaurant’s brunch menu, is twice fried and then slathered with a sweet and tangy glaze that looks almost nuclear, thanks to a helping of gochujang, a kicky Korean condiment made from red chiles, rice, fermented soybeans, and salt.
Korean Fried Chicken
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
3 quarts water
1/3 cup salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
Whole chicken, split into 8 pieces (2 of each: wing with breast, breast, thigh, and drumstick)
1 cup plus 2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons potato starch
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
5 cups cold sparkling water
5 quarts frying oil (rice bran,
canola, or peanut oil) or pork lard
Special equipment:
candy thermometer
KFC glaze (see below)
1. Combine water, salt, and soy sauce in large pot. Place chicken in this brine, and soak for 3 to 4 hours in refrigerator.
2. Remove from solution and pat dry.
3. Lightly coat chicken in 1 cup of flour.
4. Whisk the 2 cups of flour, potato starch, sea salt, and black pepper together in large bowl.
5. Add sparkling water and mix until smooth.
6. Coat chicken in batter.
7. Heat frying oil to 320 degrees in 8- to 10-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Submerge chicken in oil for 8 minutes, maintaining temperature between 300 and 320 degrees.*
8. Remove chicken and allow to rest on a drying rack for 6 minutes.
9. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
10. Submerge chicken again and maintain temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.* Batter will appear golden brown and very crispy when done.
11. Coat chicken in warm KFC glaze. Plate the chicken.
12. Serve with daikon pickles, spicy slaw, and dashi gravy for dipping. See recipes online at 7x7.com/KFC.
*Chef’s note: The temperature of the oil will drop when you place all of the chicken in. Increase or decrease heat to maintain proper temperature for the duration of cooking.
KFC Glaze
This article was published in 7x7's October 2014 issue. Click here to subscribe.
