Gochujang-Honey Popcorn Chicken (Korean Yangnyeom Style)

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces, add half the chopped garlic, the light soy, five-spice and white pepper, massage it in and refrigerate for 20 min. Wash your hands and board straight after handling raw chicken.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 gGarlic cloves 1½Light soy sauce 1 tbspFive-spice powder ¼ tspGround white pepper 2 pinch

2. Shake off excess marinade, press the starch on firmly to coat thickly and leave for 5 min so it turns damp and clings. Pat the basil leaves completely dry.

   Add in this stepCoarse sweet potato starch (or potato starch) 90 g

3. Pour oil into a deep 20 cm pot, no more than one third full, and heat on medium heat for 7 min to 170 °C. Turn the handle inwards and keep a lid nearby.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil, for deep-frying 0.8 L

   medium heat

4. Slide the chicken in piece by piece at the edge and fry on medium heat in 2 batches, 5 min per batch. When deep golden and crisp, and the largest piece is white inside with clear juices (75 °C in the centre), drain on a rack. Fry it properly crisp so it stays crunchy under the glaze.

   medium heat

5. Turn off the heat and fry the basil for just 5 to 10 seconds. Stand back as you add it: it spits hard.

   Add in this stepBasil leaves 8 g

6. In a wide 24 cm pan, combine the rest of the garlic, the gochujang, honey, ketchup, rice vinegar and water and bubble on medium-low heat for 2 min, stirring. When glossy and thick enough that a line drawn with the spatula holds for a moment, turn off the heat. Over-reduced glaze sets hard as it cools.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 1½Gochujang (Korean chilli paste) 1½ tbspHoney 1½ tbspTomato ketchup 1 tbspRice vinegar 1½ tspWater 1½ tbsp

   medium-low heat

7. Add the fried chicken to the pan off the heat and toss quickly for about 20 seconds to coat. Pile onto a plate, scatter over sesame, sliced spring onion and the fried basil and serve straight away.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame seeds 1 tspSpring onions (stalks) 1