Recipe: A Secret Ingredient Makes Chef Jun Hwang’s Korean Fried Chicken “Super Crunchy”

Jun Hwang loves weaving his Korean heritage with the modern Australian menu he serves at The White Horse, a refined pub restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills. You might find gochujang (Korean red chilli paste) adding spice to the jus served with a chicken leg, or doenjang (fermented soybean paste) adding depth to your tarte tatin.

“But the most recognisable Korean food item in Australia – and my favourite, which I always order [for delivery] – has to be Korean fried chicken,” says Hwang.

The chef has levelled up the Korean fried chicken recipe he’s been perfecting for years by incorporating the Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream Deli Style Crackers from Red Rock Deli in two ways.

“The original fried chicken is usually just made with a batter of flour,” he says. “But by crushing up the crackers and adding them, it makes it more textural and super crunchy.”

Hwang doesn’t stop there, though. Once the chunks of chicken thigh – his preferred cut for its juiciness – have been crumbed, deep-fried and coated in a spicy-sweet sauce, they’re finished with a layer of crushed crackers.

“It’s an additional layer of flavour,” he says. “You can really taste the sweet chilli and sour cream, and it gives it a nice kick that goes really well with a beer or a cocktail.”

To make sure that the crackers stick well to the garlicky gochujang-based sauce, Hwang says texture is key. “You need to make it thick and glossy; it should be coating the back of your spoon.”

He recommends cooking over a medium heat. “If you’re not putting enough heat, it’s not going to thicken, but if you’re putting too much, it’ll reduce too much and go rock hard.”

Jun Hwang’s Korean Fried Chicken with Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream Deli Style Crackers

Makes 1 serving
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

200g chicken thigh, cut into 2.5cm dice
50g plain flour
2 eggs, whole and beaten
80g Red Rock Deli, Deli Style Crackers – Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream, crushed into coarse crumbs

Sweet and spicy sauce
130g Korean red chilli paste (gochujang)
15g garlic, chopped
120g sweet chilli sauce
160g caster sugar
65ml light soy sauce
70ml water

Plating

55g Red Rock Deli, Deli Style Crackers – Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream
10g spring onion

Method

Cut the chicken thigh into 2.5cm dice. Crush the crackers into coarse crumb. Coat the chicken pieces in plain flour, shaking off excess. Dip into beaten egg making sure all surface is soaked. Press into cracker crumb until fully coated and rest in refrigerator (approximately 10 minutes).

To make the sweet and spicy sauce, place a small saucepan on a low heat. Add chopped garlic and gently sweat until fragrant, ensuring no colour develops.

Add Korean red chilli paste, sweet chilli sauce, light soy sauce, water and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes until garlic is cooked through.

Remove from heat once the sauce has thickened and is glossy. Allow to cool slightly before using as a glaze for fried chicken.

Deep-fry the crumbed chicken at 170°C until golden brown and cooked through (approximately 5 minutes). Fully coat fried chicken with sweet and spicy sauce.

Sprinkle crushed crackers on sauced chicken. Top with some freshly chopped spring onions to finish.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Red Rock Deli.