Korean-style fried chicken recipe

Ingredients

Neutral oil, to deep-fry

• 3 free-range eggwhites

• 200ml water

• 3 tsp sea-salt flakes

• 100g sweet rice flour, plus extra to dust

• 50g plain flour

• 50g potato starch

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 16 chicken wings, drumettes and wings separated, wing tips left on

• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

• 4 green shallots, finely sliced

GOCHUJANG CHILLI SAUCE

• ½ cup gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated

• 10cm-piece ginger, finely grated

• 80g dark brown sugar

• 80ml dark soy sauce

• 80ml rice vinegar

• 2½ Tbsp fish sauce

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

To make chilli sauce, put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Preheat deep-fryer or pour oil into a large deep saucepan until 15cm deep. Heat to 170°C on a cook’s thermometer or until a cube of bread turns golden in 30 seconds.
Whisk eggwhites in a large bowl until foamy. Whisk in water and salt. Sift in flours, potato starch, bicarb and pepper, and mix until a smooth batter forms.
Dust chicken in a little extra rice flour, shaking off any excess flour. Add to batter, mixing until well coated.
Divide chicken into 3 batches and deep-fry each batch for 7 minutes or until lightly golden. Put on paper towel, keeping batches separate, to drain. Set aside.
When all chicken has been cooked, deep-fry first batch for a further 7 minutes or until deep golden. Drain again on fresh paper towel, covering loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat deep-frying and draining with remaining batches.
Once all chicken has been deep-fried again, put in the bowl of sauce, tossing until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds and shallots.