Korean Fried Chicken

In a large saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, five to seven minutes. Keep the sauce warm.

Using a sharp chef’s knife, separate the wing into drumettes, flats and tips. Discard the tips or use them to make a homemade chicken broth. Place the drumettes and flats in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and minced ginger. Mix well. Measure the cornstarch into a shallow bowl and roll the wings one by one until thoroughly coated. Set the wings on a baking sheet. Don’t let them touch to keep them as dry as possible before frying. Editor’s Tip: Korean cooks often mix their meats and marinades by hand and wear disposable gloves to make the job less messy.

Set a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. You’ll need this for draining the wings later. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F. Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a thermometer, heat until the oil has a slight shimmer. You can test the oil by dropping in one wing and seeing if it sizzles. If it just drops to the bottom, remove the wing with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and wait a bit longer.

Working in batches, drop the wings in the oil one by one, being careful not to splatter or crowd the pan. Fry until the wings are lightly golden, about six to eight minutes. Remove the wings from the oil with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain on the wire rack. Let the oil heat back up to 350° before starting the next batch. Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your pot, you can usually fry about six wings per batch. (I like to cook the drumettes and flats in separate batches, as the drumettes take longer to cook.)

Increase fryer heat to 375°. Drop the wings in the oil one at a time. Fry until they're medium-brown and crispy, about three to four minutes. Remove the wings from the oil with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain them on the wire rack. Let the oil heat back up to 375° before starting the next batch. Repeat until all the wings have been double-fried, then turn off the fryer or burner. Editor’s Tip: For this batch, you don’t need to be as careful about crowding. Depending on the size of your pot, you can usually fry about eight wings per batch.

Keeping the wings on the wire rack, brush the sauce generously on one side of the wings, then flip them to brush sauce on the other side. Arrange the wings on a serving platter. Garnish them with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.