Korean Fried Chicken

Double-fried chicken with an impossibly thin, shatteringly crispy crust — glazed in sweet and spicy yangnyeom sauce or pure garlic soy.

Korean fried chicken (yangnyeom chicken) is a relatively modern phenomenon — it emerged in the 1970s after the American military introduced pressure frying to South Korea. Korean fast food chains developed the double-fry technique that produces the glass-like crust that distinguishes Korean fried chicken from all others. The yangnyeom (seasoned) sauce — sweet, spicy and sticky — was developed in the 1980s and became the style most associated with Korean fried chicken globally. The dish became a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s when fried chicken delivery (chimaek — chicken and maekju/beer) became a nationwide institution. Korean fried chicken spread globally through the Korean Wave (hallyu) of K-pop and K-dramas, where characters were frequently shown eating it.

Double fry is non-negotiable — first at 160°C then at 190°C. The second fry is what creates the glass-like crust. Rest between fries. Use potato starch not cornstarch for the coating.