Second, after a long hiatus, I think its time restart posting my culinary adventures. I went into New York City last night to visit a friend and party hard on my last weekend of last summer vacation. EVER. You know its a good night when you eat fried chicken twice while under the spell of drunk munchies. The first time was unremarkable, 11pm chicken fingers at an Irish pub, but after a bit more revelry, it was time for a late night snack, or breakfast for some more conservative folk. We hopped in a cab to Little Korea in NYC and found three Korean chicken chains. BonChan, KyoChan, and Mad For Chicken. Mad for Chicken, on the second floor at 32nd and 5th was the only one open. Cupcakes, move over, a new fad food has taken New York and Colonel Sanders by storm.
We ordered a plate of drumsticks and a plate of wings and were treated to what I believe the most elegant and refined preparation of fried chicken. Elegant? Refined? Fried? No, I am not still feeling the effects of a long night of partying, the Koreans have created a type of fried chicken that belongs in a class apart from "Regular" and "Extra Crispy." The skin was crackly, with all the fat rendered out, like a potato chip. The skin was so thin that it was nearly indistinguishable from the light batter that encased the entire drumstick or wing in a smooth and golden brown crust. There were no stray bits or nibs of batter clinging to the shell, a departure from the KFC we know. Inside the chicken was tender and juicy; these wings and drums were not frozen and not prepared ahead of time. The pieces we lightly sauced with a soy-garlic blend. Not too sweet or sticky, well balanced with the garlic playing the lead with a muted saltiness of the soy sauce behind it. The sauce is mostly absorbed by the translucent skin and batter, bringing the flavor inside of the chicken itself.
Not prepared ahead of time - that means there is a wait for each order, but the resulting golden nugget of fried chicken goodness is well worth it. What is the method to the goodness? Twice frying the chicken. This serves two purposes. First, the skin and batter doesn't burn before the center of the drum or wing is cooked. Second, a rest period and shakedown lets all the fat render out of the skin before the pieces are finished in the fryer. The restaurant was nice enough to keep the libations coming during the wait with complementary shots of apple and red bull flavored sojou.
