Dak-ttongjip-twigim (Fried Chicken Gizzards)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 4-quart pot or Dutch oven for frying
• •Deep-fry thermometer
• •Wire rack set over a sheet pan
• •Spider strainer or long-handled slotted spoon
• •Kitchen shears or sharp paring knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the gizzards

   Lay the gizzards flat and trim away any yellow inner lining, hard white gristle, or loose fat. Cut large gizzards in half through the natural seam so each piece is about 3 to 4cm wide. Do not cut them too small; small pieces overcook before the coating browns.

   If your market sells cleaned gizzards, still check each one. One missed patch of yellow lining can make the whole bowl taste bitter.
2. 2

   Scrub and rinse

   Put the trimmed gizzards in a bowl with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 tablespoon soju if using. Rub firmly with your hand for 2 minutes, until the surface feels less slick. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, then drain. The flour grabs what water alone leaves behind.

3. 3

   Parboil for tenderness

   Bring 5 cups water to a boil with the scallion, smashed garlic, ginger, soju, 1 teaspoon salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf if using. Add the gizzards and simmer gently, not violently, for 8 minutes for small pieces or 10 minutes for large ones. This is the step nobody skips. It tames the chew and cleans the flavor without cooking the gizzard to hardness.

   Do not boil them for 20 minutes because you are nervous. Gizzards toughen when bullied. Parboil just enough, then let the fryer finish the work.
4. 4

   Drain and dry

   Drain the gizzards and discard the aromatics. Spread the pieces on a rack or a towel-lined tray and let them dry for 20 minutes, turning once. Pat them dry again before coating. Water is the enemy here; wet gizzards throw oil and make the starch paste up instead of frying crisp.

5. 5

   Mix the coating

   In a wide bowl, whisk together the potato starch, flour, rice flour if using, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and gochugaru if using. In a second bowl, whisk the egg white with 2 tablespoons cold water until loose. The starch gives the clean crunch, the little bit of flour helps it hold, and the egg white makes a thin shell without turning it heavy.

6. 6

   Coat each piece

   Dip the dried gizzards in the egg white mixture, shake off the excess, then toss in the starch coating. Press lightly so the coating catches in the ridges, then set the pieces on a rack for 5 minutes. That short rest hydrates the outside just enough so the coating stays attached in the oil.

7. 7

   Fry the garlic

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 160C. Add the sliced garlic and fry, stirring often, until pale gold, 1 to 2 minutes. Lift it out to a paper towel-lined plate. It will darken as it rests, so pull it before it looks done. Burned garlic is not garnish; it is punishment.

8. 8

   First fry

   Raise the oil to 170C. Fry the gizzards in two or three batches for 3 minutes, stirring once so they do not stick together. Do not crowd the pot. Lift them to a rack when the coating is set but still pale. The first fry cooks the shell and drives off moisture.

9. 9

   Second fry

   Raise the oil to 185C. Fry the gizzards a second time, 60 to 90 seconds, until the coating is crisp and lightly golden. Drain on a rack, not a flat towel, so the bottoms stay crisp. Taste one while it is still hot enough to teach you something, then adjust only the finishing salt if needed.

10. 10

    Season and serve

    Mix the dipping salt with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and gochugaru if using. Pile the fried gizzards on a plate with the fried garlic, sliced chilies, scallion, and sesame seeds. Serve at once with the salt-pepper dip. This is not a dish that waits politely.

Chef Tips

• •Buy gizzards from a market with good turnover. They should smell clean and faintly mineral, never sour. Cook them the day you buy them, or keep them covered in the coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
• •The parboil is not optional, but the aromatics can bend. No soju? Use rice wine. No bay leaf? Leave it out. Keep the ginger, garlic, and salt, because they do the real work.
• •Potato starch gives the Korean fried texture I want here. Cornstarch works if that is what your pantry has, but the crust will be a little finer and less sturdy.
• •For a pocha-style plate, serve with cold beer, sliced green chili, raw onion wedges, and a small dish of ssamjang. The sharp vegetables cut the richness better than a sweet sauce does.
• •Do not cover leftovers while warm. Cool them uncovered, refrigerate, and re-crisp in an air fryer or 200C oven for 5 to 7 minutes. They will not be exactly the same, but they will still be worth eating.

Advance Preparation

• •The gizzards can be trimmed, cleaned, parboiled, cooled, and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Dry them well before chilling, then pat dry again before coating.
• •The dry coating can be mixed up to 1 week ahead and kept airtight. Do not add the egg white mixture until the moment you are ready to fry.
• •Fried garlic can be made a few hours ahead and kept uncovered at room temperature. Covering it traps moisture and softens it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)