Soy garlic chicken wings from Hot n Sweet
This recipe was developed after eating fried chicken in Korea, Singapore, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and, of all places, Canada. The coating is crisp and golden, light in texture, and when you take a bite, it shatters, then melts on your tongue. That crisp, airy quality is similar to what you’d get if you dipped a wing in tempura batter. This distinct texture is achieved through a mix of cornstarch and flour in the batter. The sauce is thinner than a glaze, with a hint of ginger and that distinct sweetness that comes from sake or mirin.
From the story: Love Korean fried chicken wings? Arcadia’s Hot n Sweet makes ‘em light and airy. Here’s a recipe.
Soy garlic sauce
In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the corn syrup, soy sauce, water, sake, sugar, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to 1 quart, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Chicken batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sea salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the water to form a batter that has the consistency of cake batter (if the batter thickens too much, thin with additional water).
Soy garlic chicken wings
Fill a 4-quart pot with frying oil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Heat the oil to maintain a temperature of 350 degrees.
Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken, into the batter, shaking off any excess. Deep fry the pieces until the crust is golden-brown and the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 8 minutes Drain the pieces on a rack and continue until all of the chicken is fried.
Toss the chicken in the soy garlic sauce (there may be some leftover), and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the chicken, garnished with green onion.
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