Koreans drink beer. And when we drink beer in Koreatown, we eat fried chicken. Chicken and beer. Sonny and Cher. Ashford and Simpson. But unlike American fried chicken, ours has no flour, no buttermilk, no coating. It is just a skin that cracks like glass and a saltiness that makes you wanna drink more . . . beer.
SERVES 4
BRINE
1½ gallons water
½ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
¼ cup sugar
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
¼ cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
½ cup natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)
4 cups beer—whatever’s in your fridge
1 cup whole milk
CHICKEN
1 whole chicken, approximately 4 pounds
2 quarts vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a pot large enough to hold 1½ gallons of liquid and all the chicken pieces, combine the ingredients for the brine and cook over high heat for 20 minutes. Drain the brine through a sieve, discarding the solids, return the brine to the pot, and chill it for several hours until cold.
Add the chicken to the chilled brine and soak it overnight.
The next day, remove the chicken from the brine, rinse it in cold water to discard any milk solids, and place on a rack over a sheet pan to dry on your counter for 2 hours, or until it’s completely dry.
When you’re ready, add the oil to a large, deep pot and heat it to 350°F, or dip a piece of the chicken in the oil—if the oil sizzles, it’s ready.
Fry the chicken until each piece is golden brown all over and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate or baking sheet to drain, then season with salt and pepper. The skin should crackle and pop.
Enjoy immediately with some kimchi.
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