Dak-kkeopjil-twigim (Fried Chicken Skin)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3 to 4 liter pot or wok
• •Deep-fry thermometer
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Spider strainer or long chopsticks
• •Sharp knife or bench scraper

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrape the skin

   Lay the chicken skin flat on a board, outside skin-side down. With the back of a knife, scrape away soft yellow fat and any bits of meat. Leave the skin itself whole when you can, because large pieces fry flatter and hold better in the hand. Pat it dry with towels. Do not rinse chicken skin in the sink; you spread more trouble than you wash away.

   Ask a butcher for skin from thighs if you can. Breast skin is thinner and fries well, but thigh skin has enough fat to taste like itself after the frying.
2. 2

   Season lightly

   Cut the skin into pieces about 7 by 10 cm. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, the soju, grated ginger, and pepper. Let it sit 10 minutes, then blot every piece dry again. The soju and ginger clean the smell, not the character. This is still chicken skin, and it should taste that way.

3. 3

   Dry until firm

   Stretch the pieces skin-side up on a wire rack set over a tray. Refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours, or overnight if the table can wait. The surface should feel tacky and tight, not wet. This step is not decoration. Wet skin spits in oil, the coating slides off, and the finished piece bends instead of snapping clean under the teeth.

   A safe shortcut is 45 minutes in front of a fan after careful blotting, but only if the skin is already very dry. Do not shorten the drying if you see wet patches.
4. 4

   Mix coating

   Stir the potato starch and rice flour together in a shallow pan. Dust the dried skin lightly, shake off every heavy patch, then let the pieces sit on the rack for 5 minutes. A thin coat gives crispness without turning this into battered chicken. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, because too much starch makes a floury shell.

5. 5

   Make dipping sauce

   Stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced chili and scallion if you want them. Keep this sharp and small. The dip is there to cut the fat between bites, not to drown the plate.

6. 6

   First fry

   Heat 4 cups oil in a heavy pot to 160 C. Fry the skins in small batches, 3 to 4 pieces at a time, pressing each piece gently under the oil with a spider for the first 10 seconds so it opens flat. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, until pale golden and the bubbling slows. Lift to a rack, not paper towels, so the underside stays crisp.

7. 7

   Second fry

   Raise the oil to 185 C. Return the skins in batches and fry 45 to 75 seconds, until deep golden, crisp, and light in the tongs. This second fry drives out the last moisture. Pull them a shade before they look finished, because the fat keeps cooking after they leave the oil.

8. 8

   Season and serve

   Mix the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the gochugaru and crushed sesame. Sprinkle it over the hot fried skins while they are still glossy at the edges. Serve at once with the soy-vinegar dip. This is late-night anju, so the plate should not wait politely for anyone.

Chef Tips

• •Buy fresh skin and cook it the same day, or dry it uncovered overnight in the refrigerator. Chicken skin turns quickly, so if it smells sour or feels slimy, do not argue with it. Cook something else.
• •A thermometer is not showing off here. At 160 C the first fry renders fat without burning the coating; at 185 C the second fry crisps the surface. Guessing at oil temperature is how cheap food becomes wasted food.
• •Do not pile the fried skins in a bowl. Stack them loosely on a rack or a wide plate so air can move around them. Crisp food needs space after frying, the same way meat needs space before browning.
• •If you have an air fryer, use it only for reheating: 180 C for 3 to 4 minutes. For the first cooking, deep oil gives the flat, blistered texture this dish is asking for.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken skin can be scraped, seasoned, and dried uncovered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead. This improves the frying and makes game-day cooking calmer.
• •The soy-vinegar dip can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, but add scallion and chili just before serving so they stay clean and sharp.
• •Fried chicken skin is best within 10 minutes of cooking. If needed, re-crisp leftovers in an air fryer or oven at 180 C for 3 to 5 minutes, then season with a fresh pinch of salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)