Korean Fried Chicken

Judy Joo is the host of "Korean Food Made Easy" on the Cooking Network and is always presenting great Korean dishes.  Her recent show called "Fusion" included a recipe for Korean Fried Chicken.  The Korean's have upscaled the classic American favorite with a Korean twist.  So, here is her take on Fried Chicken.  Enjoy.

Ingredients
Pickled Radish Cubes:

• ½ Cup Rice Vinegar
• ½ Cup Water
• ½ Cup sugerfine sugar or Caster sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher salt or sea Salt
• 1 Pound Daikon radish, cut into ½ inch cubes

Pre-Coating:

• 1/4 Cup cornstarch or corn flour
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons Kosher salt or sea salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 10 grinds Black Pepper
• 2 chicken drumsticks, 2 thighs and 4 wings with tips (bone in, skin on)
• Oil, for frying

Batter:

• 1/2 Cup cornstarch or corn flour
• 1/4 Cup fine matzo meal
• 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons Korean chile flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons Garlic granules
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons Onion granules
• 1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Cup Water
• 1/3 Cup Vodka
• 2 Tablespoons Korean chile paste (gochujang)

Korean BBQ Sauce:

• 3 Tablespoons Korean chile paste (gochujang)
• 3 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 2 packed tablespoons dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon roasted Sesame Oil
• 2 Teaspoons grated Ginger (from about a 2-inch piece)
• 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

Procedures

• Make the pickled radish cubes: Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl, whisking until the sugar and salt are dissolved.  Add the radish and toss to coat.  Leave at room temperature, covered, for 24 hours.  Then refrigerate. 
• Make the pre-coating: In a large bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients.  Add the chicken and toss well until evenly coated in all areas.  Transfer the chicken to a rack, shaking the chicken well to get rid of any eess coating.  Let rest uncovered for 1 hour. 
• Prepare oil: Pour enough oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven to reach a depth of 2 incudes.  Heat the oil over medium-high hear until a deep-dry thermometer reads 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make the batter:  In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Just before frying, whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture.  The consistency should be relatively thin and runny.  Working in two batches, dip each piece of chicken into the batter, letting excess batter drip off.  Suspend the chicken in the oil for a couple of seconds to it to setup before letting it slip completely into the oil, otherwise, the chicken will fall and stick to the bottom of the pot.  Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes per batch.  Transfer to a wire rack to drain as done. 
• Make the BBQ sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, 2 to 5 minutes.  Serve the chicken with the BBQ sauce, pickled radish and beer. 
• Note: The batter's dry and wet ingredients can be assembled but bnot mixed together ahead of time.  Whisk the wet and ry ingredients right before you are ready to fry the chicken, otherwise, the batter may thicken too much.  Cook the chicken in batches, cooking the drumsticks and thights together as one batch and the wings as a separate batch.  Loosen the BBQ'sauce with a little water if you want to drizzle the sauce over or glaze the chicken.