My wife is not a picky eater but she’s very choosy about chicken wings. She used to love the wings served at Cafe Brio, and she was crushed when the downtown Springfield restaurant closed in 2016. Since then, whenever she orders wings, she’ll invariably say: “They’re just not as good as Brio’s!”
We spent the first winter of the pandemic “sheltering-in-place” at an RV park in Florida. Vaccines hadn’t been released yet, so we were keeping to ourselves. Super Bowl Sunday was approaching and my wife was craving wings. Not just any wings … specifically Cafe Brio’s. She tracked down Cafe Brio’s former owner, Curtis Hudson, on Facebook. He was living in Eureka Springs and he kindly sent her the recipe. I followed his recipe faithfully and watched her reaction as she took her first bite. She sadly shook her head and said: “They’re just not as good as Brio’s!” I gave up trying to please her with copycat Brio wings.
Since that winter, I’ve worked in several professional kitchens and developed enough self-confidence to once again attempt to please my resident wing connoisseur. With my Korean fried chicken wings, I finally scored a big win during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Korean fried chicken, or KFC, is known for its thin, shatteringly crispy exterior, often coated with a spicy-sweet glaze. Its origin dates to the Korean War, when southern fried chicken was introduced by American troops stationed in South Korea. After the war, Korean restaurants started serving a version of fried chicken with a cracklier, thinner coating than its craggy, denser American counterpart. Korean fried chicken became a popular anju, or drinking food.
What makes Korean fried chicken so different from American fried chicken is its lightness and crispiness, which comes from double frying. The first fry cooks the chicken through, and the second fry finishes it off at a higher temperature and creates a crispy exterior. Unlike American fried chicken, which has a thick crust made with wheat flour, Korean fried chicken has a thin outer layer made with potato, corn or tapioca starch.
Korean fried chicken restaurants usually use small or medium-sized chicken, so the whole chicken is fried and served. American chickens’ large breasts and thighs are challenging to cook evenly, so the Korean-style chicken places here serve mostly wings and small drumsticks.
Korean fried chicken is often served with “chicken-mu,” pickled Korean radish cubes. This refreshing, crunchy pickle is not too sour or sweet and cuts through the greasiness of the chicken. Korean radishes have pale green top halves and are smaller and rounder than the more common daikon radishes. They have a lower water content and crunchier texture than daikons, but if unavailable, daikon radishes can be substituted.
Korean fried chicken wings
Makes 24-36 pieces
Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
2 quarts peanut or canola oil (approximate)
For the dry dredge:
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup potato starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
For the batter:
½ cup potato starch
½ cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold water
¼ cup vodka
For the spicy gochujang glaze:
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons mirin
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
For the soy garlic glaze:
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
For serving:
Sliced scallions
Toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
Make the dry dredge: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the kosher salt, potato starch and baking powder.
Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Add the chicken wings to the dry dredge and toss until every surface is coated. Shake off excess coating and arrange on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees.
Make the batter: In a mixing bowl, whisk together potato starch, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, water and vodka. The batter needs to be fairly thin. Add more water as needed.
Coat the chicken pieces in the wet batter, allowing the excess to drip off. You will have to whisk the batter periodically: the starch will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Carefully place the chicken into the oil one piece at a time, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry, turning the pieces with tongs, until lightly golden, about seven minutes. As each piece is done, remove and drain on a paper towel-lined tray. Be sure the oil returns to at least 325 degrees between batches.
Allow wings to cool to room temperature, then freeze for two hours or overnight.
Make the spicy gochujang glaze:
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the soy garlic glaze:
In a separate pan, combine all the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside until ready to use.
When ready for the second fry, bring the same pot of oil over high heat to 375 degrees.
Carefully add the cold, partially fried chicken wings to the hot oil and cook for five-seven minutes, until deep golden brown and cooked through. Remove the wings, place them onto the lined baking sheet, and gently baste half the wings with the spicy gochujang glaze and the other half with the soy garlic glaze.
Transfer the wings to a serving platter, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Chicken-mu (Korean radish pickle)
If you can’t find a Korean radish, substitute a daikon. It won’t be as crunchy, but it will still taste good.
Ingredients:
1 Korean radish
⅔ cup distilled white vinegar
⅔ cup water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Preparation:
Peel and cut radishes into ½-inch cubes.
In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and salt into vinegar and water.
Add radish cubes to the mixture and transfer to a container or jar, ensuring all radishes are submerged.
Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. For optimal flavor, refrigerate for a full day. Pickled radishes will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
This article appears in Spring Guide 2025.
