Karaage Fried Chicken with Banchan
Chicken marinated in soy, ginger, and garlic, dredged in potato starch and fried twice until shatteringly crisp, set out with a spread of banchan.
By Steven Russell
Korean
Chicken marinated in soy, ginger, and garlic, dredged in potato starch and fried twice until shatteringly crisp, set out with a spread of banchan.
This is a fried chicken that borrows from two kitchens. The marinade and the potato-starch crust come from Japanese karaage, which fries up lighter and crisper than a flour dredge. The table around it is Korean, a spread of banchan: kimchi, quick cucumber, cabbage slaw, and sesame greens.
The secret is frying twice. The first fry cooks the chicken through, the second, at a higher heat, drives off the surface moisture and sets that glassy crunch.
Marinate the chicken in soy, ginger, garlic, and mirin for at least an hour.
Why The marinade seasons the meat all the way through and the ginger and garlic keep it from tasting flat under the crust.Drain and dredge each piece thoroughly in potato starch, pressing it on.
Why Potato starch fries up lighter and crisper than flour and gives that signature karaage shell.Fry in batches at 325 F until pale gold and cooked through, then rest on a rack.
Why The first, gentler fry cooks the interior without burning the coating. Crowding the oil drops the temperature, so work in batches.Raise the oil to 375 F and fry each piece a second time until deep golden and crackling.
Why The second, hotter fry drives off surface moisture and sets the crunch that stays crisp on the platter.Pile the chicken on a platter and set it out with kimchi, cucumber, slaw, and sesame greens.
Why The cool, sharp, and tangy banchan cut the richness of the fried chicken and make it a full table.
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