Korean Fried Chicken Wings

For the wings:

8 chicken wings, cut into two pieces, the drumette separated from the flat or wing

1 yellow onion, grated on a box grater, using the largest hole

2 cloves garlic, minced and crushed into a paste

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the batter:

½ cup all-purpose unbleached flour

⅔cup cornstarch

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

¾ cup icy cold water

Chile Sauce:

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

6 large red chiles, such as Fresno or Holland, seeded and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Separate the chicken wings into drumettes and flats if you haven’t already.

Combine the grated onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and mix to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight, letting the chicken sit out for 30 minutes to remove the chill before frying.

For the batter, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the center and whisk in the water to create a thick, smooth batter. Stop whisking as soon as the ingredients have come together. It will seem somewhat gluey. Set aside.

Make the chile sauce by combining the garlic, ginger, and chiles in a mini-food processor and chop to a fine texture. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the chile mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and corn syrup, cook for about 30 seconds to combine and slightly thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pour the oil into a 4-quart Dutch oven to a depth of 1½-inch. Heat over high heat to 350˚F; stick a dry chopstick in and bubbles should immediately rise to the top and surround the chopstick. Meanwhile, pour off the liquid that has accumulated in the bowl of marinated chicken. Set the chicken, batter, and a platter lined with a triple layer of paper towels near the stove.

Using chopsticks or two forks, dip each piece of chicken in the batter, pausing above the batter to let excess batter drip back down. Gently drop the chicken into the oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on the paper towel-lined platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adjusting the oil temperature between batches.

The crispy coating softens-a-touch during cooling so when all the pieces are done, increase the oil temperature to 375˚F and refry the chicken in batches for 30 to 60 seconds, until super crisp. Drain once more on the paper towel.

Now coat the chicken in the sauce, working in batches of about 4 pieces at a time. Put the chicken pieces in the bowl and use a rubber spatula to coat them in sauce. Transfer to a serving plate before coating more chicken.

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