Honey Butter Chikin (허니버터치킨)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven
• •Deep-fry thermometer
• •Wire rack set over a sheet pan
• •Large mixing bowl for tossing

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Pat the chicken very dry, especially around the joints. Toss it with the salt, pepper, grated onion, grated garlic, and rice wine. Let it stand 20 minutes. This short seasoning reaches the meat without making the skin wet and loose, which is the first way fried chicken loses its bite.

   If your wings are very large, cut a shallow slash near the thickest part of each drumette. It helps the meat cook evenly before the crust darkens.
2. 2

   Coat for crunch

   Add the egg white and toss until the chicken feels sticky. In a separate bowl, whisk the potato starch, cornstarch, rice flour, and baking powder. Coat each piece well, pressing the starch into the skin and shaking off loose powder. Rest the coated chicken on a rack for 10 minutes, until the surface looks patchy and damp in places. That damp starch fries into ridges; dry dust falls into the oil.

3. 3

   First fry gently

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 160C. Fry the chicken in batches for 6 to 7 minutes, turning once or twice, until pale gold and cooked through at the bone. Do not crowd the pot. The oil should recover quickly after the chicken goes in, or the crust drinks oil instead of setting. Transfer to a rack and rest 10 minutes.

   For food safety, the thickest pieces should reach 74C at the bone. If you do not use a thermometer, cut into one large drumette from the first batch and check that the juices run clear.
4. 4

   Second fry crisp

   Raise the oil to 190C. Fry the chicken again in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden and audibly crisp when lifted with tongs. This second fry drives off surface moisture. It is not showing off; it is why Korean chicken survives sauce and still cracks under the teeth.

5. 5

   Make the glaze

   While the last batch drains, melt the butter in a wide skillet over low heat. Add the honey, corn syrup, soy sauce, minced garlic, and salt. Stir for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the garlic softens and the sauce turns thin, smooth, and gold. Do not boil it hard. Thick honey-butter sauce is candy, and candy softens crust.

6. 6

   Toss and serve

   Put the fried chicken in a large bowl. Pour over the warm glaze and toss quickly, 8 to 10 turns, until each piece shines but no sauce pools at the bottom. Scatter sesame seeds, nuts if using, and scallions if using. Serve at once with pickled radish (chikin-mu) and cold drinks. Write down the toss, too. Too much sauce is how a good crust disappears.

Chef Tips

• •Use wings, drumettes, and flats for the best crust-to-meat balance. Boneless thigh works, but cut it into 4cm pieces and reduce the first fry to 4 to 5 minutes.
• •Potato starch gives the cleanest Korean fried-chicken crunch. Cornstarch alone works in a hard weeknight, but the crust will be a little finer and less rugged.
• •Keep the glaze thin. If it thickens in the skillet, add 1 teaspoon water and loosen it before tossing. A sauce that clings too heavily will punish the frying you just did properly.
• •The safe shortcut is buying pre-separated wings. The unsafe shortcut is skipping the second fry. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요, when times change, food must change too, but the crust still has rules.
• •Serve with chikin-mu, the cubed pickled radish that cuts the butter and resets the mouth. If you cannot buy it, toss 2 cups cubed Korean radish with 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt, then chill at least 2 hours.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken can be seasoned up to 8 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Pat it dry again before coating, because cold chicken gives off moisture.
• •The starch mixture can be whisked together several days ahead and kept dry in a sealed container.
• •Fried chicken is best eaten just after glazing. Leftovers can be reheated uncovered in a 200C oven for 8 to 10 minutes, but the honey-butter coating will never return fully to its first crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)