Korean Crispy Chicken...oy vey!

People always ask me if I cook Korean food.  Well, I attempt to cook Korean food.  I've never followed a recipe.  When I asked my mom to teach me how to cook Korean food she said, you just know.  Her mother never taught her how to cook Korean food.  "You just go by taste."  Uhhh, okay mom.  Thanks. Conclusion, my Korean food repertoire consists of kalbi and moo namul (shredded radish with red pepper).  Sad considering I'm half Korean.  


For some reason, this week I felt the need to add to my Korean culinary skills and attempt to cook something Korean.  I searched the web and found this funny lady who posts Korean cooking videos, Maangchi.  I thought "awesome" since Koreans notoriously cook without recipes, I could just "see" what she was doing and do the same!  I searched her recipes and found one for fried chicken. Perfect, since the phone line to our much loved Chicken Run has been disconnected for the last 3 weeks.  Vic and I are suffering withdrawals.  They have the BEST crispy chicken EVER!  I challenge anyone to find better chicken, really.  My sister and brother-in-law visited us in Singapore and of the entire trip all they kept saying was "that crispy chicken was incredible!" not "we had such a great time with you," not "Singapore is such a nice place," not "Bali is Beautiful," but "we can't stop thinking about that chicken!" Trust me, it's that good.   


Anyway, since our twice a week dinner option disappeared, I thought I'd try to be a good wife and make my own crispy chicken.  I watched the video of Maangchi as she made the oh so simple sauce and the 6 ingredient fried chicken that's to be tossed in the sauce.  Easy enough, I thought.


Prepped the chicken...check.  Prepped the sauce...check.  Now, just waiting for dinnertime to fry the chicken and toss in the sauce.  


We had a friend over for dinner, so once we started getting hungry, I left Vic and our friend to chat while I went into the kitchen to finish up the chicken.  


Two plus hours, crystalizing sauce, boiling sauce, oil everywhere and a giant burn on the arm later, the damn chicken was finished.  


I have never fried chicken before and now I know why.  Not only did I use an ENTIRE bottle of oil, I could have honestly used another bottle.  This explains all the old Chinese ladies who leave the grocery store with two 1 gallon bottles of oil in each hand.  

I must say, I'm pretty impressed with how the chicken turned out, but I don't know when I'm going to tackle those wings again.  Husband's comment, "it's good, really.  It's just a bit too sweet.  I'll make the sauce next time, you'll see. REALLY???  Go ahead sweetie, give it a go. ;-)


Here's the recipe incase anyone else wants to give at go as well.  


40 chicken wings
2 eggs
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c potato starch
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste


1 c sliced ginger
1 c water
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 c corn starch (or 1 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 c water)


1 tsp chopped red pepper
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Boil water and add sliced ginger.
2. After 5-10 minutes add the brown sugar.
3. Once the sauce begins to thicken and all sugar is melted, about 15 minutes, add the vinegar and soy sauce.
4. After the sauce begins to thicken again, add the corn starch. This is one step that I will leave out the next time I make it and I'll just double all the other ingredients to get more sauce.
5. Keep the sauce on simmer while you make the chicken being sure to stir occasionally.  Keep the heat low so it doesn't burn!
6. Fill a wok with enough oil to fry the chicken, approximately 2L.
7. Wash and pat dry the chicken and place in large bowl.
8. Add eggs, flour, starch, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix until all chicken is well coated.  
9. Test the oil temperature by dropping a bit of the chicken coating into the oil.  Do not being frying the chicken until the oil is nice and hot or else you'll end up in the kitchen for over 2 hours!
10. Fry the chicken once until you get a nice light brown color and remove from oil to drain.
11. Fish out any bits of coating that may be floating in the oil.
12. Begin frying the chicken for the second time.  This is what gives it that great crispy crust.
13. Once the chicken looks nice and browned remove and drain.  
14. Place the chicken in a wide flat pan that is on medium heat and begin to drizzle the sauce over the chicken.  Sprinkle the sesame seeds and chili over the chicken and keep tossing until well coated. Enjoy!

Fresh Vegetable and Quinoa Salad

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately and haven't had the chance to start posting, but today I start!  This is something I came up with because, as usual, I couldn't find all the ingredients I needed and then I just started adding things that I thought would taste good.


There's an abundance of protein from the soy beans and garbanzo beans, about 30% of the RDA for protein.  Not bad for a salad! And, it's incredibly fast and easy to make.  Enjoy!

Quinoa and Vegetable Salad

½ c quinoa

1 c vegetable or chicken stock

¾ c garbanzo beans

¾ c soy beans, shelled and cooked

1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp fresh dill

1 ½ tbsp chopped green onion (about 1 stalk)

1 med sized tomato, diced

¾ c diced Japanese cucumber, or any other cucumber

Juice from 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Bring stock to a boil and then add quinoa.  Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer for approximately 12 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile prepare all other vegetables.  I prefer raw garbanzo beans so I purchase dried beans and rehydrate them in water overnight.

3. Once the Quinoa all the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa, remove from heat and let cool.  I’m too impatient so I put it in the fridge or freezer for a quicker cool down time.

4. Once all ingredients are sufficiently chilled, place in one big bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice, seasonings and olive oil and toss until well coated. 

5. Salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.  

Makes about 4 cups.  Serves 3-4.