KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN AT HOME

Attempted Korean fried chicken from scratch today. Double-fried, because if you’re going to do it, do it right.

First batch: too much batter, not enough crunch. Rookie mistake. I was being too gentle with the dredging. Second batch I went thinner on the coating and cranked the oil up for the second fry. That’s when the magic happened — that glass-shattering crunch when you bite through the shell into perfectly juicy meat underneath.

The gochujang glaze was the star though. Gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and a splash of sesame oil. Reduced it down until it got sticky and glossy. Tossed the chicken in it right out of the fryer. Sweet, spicy, funky, everything all at once.

Made a mess of the kitchen. Oil everywhere. Three hours for what ended up being about 15 minutes of eating. My smoke detector went off twice. But sitting on the couch with a plate of that chicken and a cold beer? Peak Saturday.

Next attempt: tteokbokki from scratch. Need to find a good Korean grocery store for the rice cakes. The dried ones just don’t hit the same.