Photography: James Moffatt
If there’s a late-night food to rule them all, it has to be fried chicken, and Korean fried chicken showcases it in all its glory. “I love the texture, the crunchy batter and the juicy meat underneath,” says Eun Hee An of Melbourne’s beloved Moon Mart. “Korean chicken also has glazes, which adds sweet, salty and savoury elements to it.” In this recipe the chicken is brined in buttermilk, fish sauce and salted krill, to tenderise and amplify its umami flavour. “For Koreans fried chicken must be eaten with beer. We call this chik-mek, as mekju is the Korean word for beer,” says Hee An. When it comes to choosing a brew, any light rice lager goes well. “Korean brands like Cass are very simple but very refreshing and complementary. Locally I like Mountain Goat pale ale because it tastes like passionfruit and it’s super easy to drink.”
Note: Salted krill, Korean fish sauce, sweet potato starch, and kombu are available from Asian supermarkets.
Ingredients
Method
For pickled daikon, place daikon in colander, add 1 tsp fine sea salt, toss to coat and set aside to drain (15 minute). Pat dry with paper towel and place in a non-reactive bowl. Place remaining ingredients and 150ml water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil, then pour over daikon to cover. Cover directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to pickle.
Joint chicken into 12 pieces. Combine buttermilk, salted krill and fish sauce in a non-reactive bowl; add chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight to brine.
For glaze, place all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Set aside to cool, then strain into a large bowl.
Preheat oil in a deep-sided saucepan to 140°C. Combine flour and sweet potato starch in a large bowl. Drain chicken from marinade. Dust chicken pieces heavily in flour mixture and deep-fry, in batches, turning occasionally, until light golden (4 minutes; the chicken won’t be cooked through). Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken pieces to a wire rack set over a large tray lined with paper towel and set aside.
Increase oil to 180°C. Deep-fry chicken, in batches, until deep golden and cooked through (5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken pieces to wire rack to drain and cool slightly, then toss through glaze. Serve chicken scattered with sesame seeds and pickled daikon.
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