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Tempura Fried Chicken


Tempura Fried Chicken being placed on a drip tray.

Ingredients

For brining, parboiling, and air-drying: 

  • 4 pounds full chicken wings (with tips) and drums
  • 6 quarts water
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)
  • 4 cups beer — whatever’s in your fridge
  • 1 cup whole milk

For frying: 

  • 4 cups tempura flour, divided
  • 2 cups highly carbonated, VERY cold soda water
  • 2 quarts vegetable oil

For the flavoring 3-ways: 

  • Ramen Salt, recipe follows 
  • Sweet Chile O’ Mine Sauce, recipe follows
  • Korean Crying Tiger Sauce, recipe follows

Method

For brining:

  1. Fill a large pot with water.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger to the water, as well as the citrus juices, salt, peppercorns, sugar, vinegar, beer, and milk.
  3. Bring brine to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Drain the brine through a sieve, discarding the solids, return the brine to the pot, and cool for several hours.
  5. Add the wings and drums to the cooled brine and allow them to brine in the fridge for at least a few hours or soak overnight.

For parboiling and air-drying:

  1. Remove the chicken from the brine and reserve the brine. Bring the brine to a boil again.
  2. Add chicken and poach about 8-12 minutes at a medium-high boil, skimming the broth for impurities as you do, until blood no longer pushes from the knuckles and the meat is firm to the touch. You want your wings and drums about 80 % cooked. A solid medium-well.
  3. Turn off the flame. Remove wings with spider or skimmer onto parchment-lined sheet tray or wire rack-lined tray to dry and cool.

For frying: 

  1. Preheat the oil in a tabletop deep fryer or in a Dutch oven on the stove to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Divide the tempura flour equally between two bowls.
  3. Add VERY COLD soda water to tempura all at once to one of the bowls.
  4. Mix preferably with chopsticks or by hand, feeling for clumps and adjusting moisture level as needed. If making a large batch, a whisk is acceptable, just be careful not to overwork your batter. The final consistency should be that of a melted milkshake, but just a touch thinner and very cold. Add ice directly to the batter as needed to achieve this texture and consistency.
  5. Work in batches and by cut of chicken. For example, the drums first and the wings second as they will cook for different amounts of time.
  6. Coat chicken in dry tempura flour first, tapping off any excess, and then completely submerge in wet tempura batter; they should be swimming. Allow the excess to drip off back into the batter.
  7. Carefully drop the chicken into the 350 degrees Fahrenheit oil for 7-8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the exterior is golden brown.
  8. Remove with spider or tongs and to a paper towel-lined sheet tray. 

For flavoring 3-ways: 

  1. For the Ramen Salt Flavor: While still hot, put the fried chicken in a metal mixing bowl and toss with a generous amount of Ramen Salt. Be sure to do this while it is still very hot so the salt sticks. Note: The Ramen Salt is a base for all three flavors and a flavor in and of itself.
  2. For the Sweet Chile O’ Mine Flavor: Put a few pieces of Ramen Salted chicken into a metal mixing bowl and toss with some of the Sweet Chile O’Mine Sauce until well coated.
  3. For the Korean Crying Tiger Flavor: Brush a few pieces of the Ramen Salted chicken with the Korean Crying Tiger Sauce until completely coated.
  4. Serve with Quickles and Kimchi.
  5. Enjoy!