Korean Fried Chicken With Kimchi And Chips

Method

1. Place the salt and 1 litre of warm water in a large bowl and swirl to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken pieces to the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 12 hours.) Take the chicken out of the brine and dry with paper towels. Lay out to allow the skin to continue drying.
2. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep-fryer and set over medium heat. Attach a deep fry thermometer if you have one. Mix ¾ cup cornflour and 2 teaspoons baking powder in a bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat well.
3. Place the remaining ½ cup cornflour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¾ cup of flour in a separate bowl. Whisk in the club soda or beer to create the tempura batter.
4. Preheat the oven to warm (90°C) and line a baking tray with paper towels. Heat the canola oil in a deep fryer or large heavy bottomed saucepan to 180°C. Drop a little batter into the oil to check. If the batter turns brown right away the oil is too hot. Turn off the heat and wait for it to cool before continuing. One piece at a time, tap the excess cornflour off the chicken and dip it in the tempura batter. Coat a couple of times to make ensure there are no air pockets. Shake the chicken a little to allow the excess batter to drip back into the bowl then slowly swirl the chicken as you place it in the oil. Fry 2–3 pieces at a time, until golden brown and crispy. Turn the chicken as required. The wings should be golden and cooked through in around 10 minutes, and the drumsticks and thigh portions will take 12–15 minutes, depending on the size.
5. Using tongs put the chicken on the prepared baking tray and place in the oven while you cook the remaining chicken – this will take 2–3 batches.
6. While the chicken is frying, place the remaining ingredients for the Korean dunking sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir, and bring to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and check for spice.
7. To serve, drizzle each piece of chicken with the sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with kimchi and sweet potato fries.