Recipe- Korean Popcorn Chicken

Give your party a pop-tastic start with an all fiery, tangy Korean popcorn chicken that’s double the fire and triple the crunch. Just dip, fry, pop and crunch. Inspired by the hyper-famous Korean street snack, Dakgangjeong (my favourite summer discovery), this deep-fried boneless chicken nugget is a bite-sized fireball that’s bound to get the party rolling! And boy, don’t we know all about it! We served these crunchy Korean style popcorn chicken balls at game night when Denver had the boys over.

Ingredients

500 grams/ 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Cornflour
1 1/2 – 2 cups Oil for Frying
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced or grated Ginger
1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Bira Hot Sauce
Toasted sesame seeds and chopped parsley or green onions for topping

Method

* Pat the chicken pieces dry with a kitchen towel to make sure there is no moisture on them. In a bowl, mix together chicken, salt and garlic and set aside for 10 minutes. Add cornflour to the chicken and coat well.

* Heat oil in a pan to medium high heat or till it reaches 350°F (177°C). You can test the oil by adding a tiny piece of chicken to it.

* The chicken should immediately float to the top and bubbles should form on the surface of the oil.

* Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry till the chicken is golden brown and cooked from inside.

* Remove on kitchen towels to absorb extra oil and set aside.

* Start making the sauce while the chicken in frying. To make the sauce, add ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and Bira’s hot sauce to a pan and mix well. Simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes till everything’s well combined and the sauce thickens slightly.

* Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and coat well. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

* Top with sesame seeds and parsley or green onions and serve hot.