Southern fried chicken has long preened in the cultural spotlight, thanks in part to such notables as chef Edna Lewis, TV’s Paula Deen and one Kentucky colonel named Harland Sanders.
But a new bird is rising out of the East - the Far East - that is capturing some of that shine: fried chicken, Asian-style.
From Burma in the southeast to Korea in the north, Asia is home to many variations on the fried chicken theme. All are golden and crunchy, but the flavorings can change from country to country.
“Marination gives extra flavor to the chicken,” says Makiko Itoh, a Tokyo-born food writer and blogger living in Vaison-la-Romaine, France, as she explains why Asian-style fried chicken is so popular. Marinating also ensures the chicken stays moist and juicy, she says.
Marja Vongerichten, host of the public television show The Kimchi Chronicles, makes a similar point in her cookbook by the same name.
“Unlike American fried chicken, which tends toward the salty end of the spectrum, Korean fried chicken is sweet and sticky but no less addictive,” writes Vongerichten. “Now, Korean-style chicken [KFC anyone?], full of great flavor and tremendous crunch, has been exported back to the States, where it’s become all the rage.”
Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but there appears to be a growing hunger for, at the very least, Asian-style chicken wings, reports Darren Tristano, executive vice president for Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based food industry research and consulting company.
“Wings are becoming a canvas for innovation and flavor,” he says, noting that the range of flavors keys into the consumer appetite for customization.
Such customization is easy to do at home. You can use various marinades, coatings and dipping sauces to create your own flavors and textures. Proper frying is the same whatever the cuisine. All you need beyond that is a sturdy pot filled with hot oil, some tongs or chopsticks for retrieving the various bits of fried bird, and a rack or paper-lined plate to blot off any extra grease.
Burmese Fried Chicken 2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken pieces Salt ¼ teaspoon turmeric 3 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce Vegetable oil, for frying ¼ cup tamarind pulp (see note) 2 cloves garlic 3 green cayenne chiles, or other hot peppers ½ teaspoon granulated sugar Cut chicken pieces into smaller pieces.
In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons salt with the turmeric. Rub mixture over chicken pieces. Place chicken pieces in a bowl. Pour fish sauce over, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Pour 1 to 2 inches oil in a deep skillet, deep fryer or flat bottomed wok. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry chicken until cooked through and golden brown. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Place the tamarind pulp in a small bowl. Add ½ cup hot water; soak, 10 minutes. Mash the tamarind with a fork to separate seeds and fibers from the pulp. Press the tamarind through the sieve over a bowl, using the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible from the pulp. Process the garlic and chiles with a pinch of salt into a coarse paste in a food processor. Stir the paste into the tamarind liquid;
add the sugar and ½ teaspoon salt.
Drain chicken on paper towels and serve with sauce.
Note: Look for tamarind pulp in Asian markets.
Adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid Japanese Fried Chicken 10 ounces boneless chicken
thighs 1 tablespoon minced ginger
PLUS 1 teaspoon grated
ginger, divided use 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sake ½ cup potato starch OR
cornstarch Vegetable oil, for frying 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon finely chopped
green onion Pinch granulated sugar Sesame oil Lemon wedges In zip-close plastic bag, combine the chicken, minced ginger, soy sauce and sake.
Close bag and massage to coat chicken with marinade. Marinate 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and dredge chicken in starch.
Pour 1 to 2 inches oil in a deep skillet, deep fryer or flat bottomed wok. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry chicken until cooked through and golden brown. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small skillet combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce and green onion. Add the grated ginger, sugar and a few drops sesame oil. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Serve chicken coated with sauce and lemon wedges on the side. If serving the chicken later at room temperature, make the sauce, put the cooked chicken pieces in the pan and toss to coat each with the hot sauce.
Let chicken and sauce cool completely.
Recipe adapted from Makiko Itoh’s blog justhungry.com
This recipe was developed by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten for The Kimchi Chronicles, a cookbook written by his wife, Marja.
Korean Fried Chicken 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 tablespoons toasted sesame
oil, divided use 4 tablespoons gochujang red
pepper paste, divided use
(see note) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (1 ½ -inch) piece ginger,
minced 2 pounds chicken wings Flour, for dredgingOil, for frying 3 tablespoons gochugaru
Korean red pepper powder
(see note) 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons honey In a large bowl whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of the gochujang (red pepper paste), the garlic and ginger.
Add the chicken wings, cover, and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Remove wings from marinade. Dredge in flour; tap off excess.
Pour 1 to 2 inches oil in a deep skillet, deep fryer or flat bottomed wok. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry chicken until cooked through and golden brown. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3tablespoons gochujang, the gochugaru, rice vinegar, honey and remaining tablespoon toasted sesame oil.
Add crispy cooked wings to bowl with sauce and toss to coat. Pile wings onto a platter;
season with salt.
Note: Look for these on the Asian aisle at well-stocked supermarkets or at Asian markets. Can substitute other chile paste for the gochujang and crushed red pepper flakes for the gochugaru.
Malaysian Fried Chicken ¼ cup sliced shallots or
onions 1 teaspoon sliced fresh ginger 1 teaspoon sambal oelek,
divided use (see note) 1 tablespoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground fennel
seeds 1 teaspoon dry mustard ½ teaspoon ground black
pepper ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon granulated sugar Salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon paprika 1 pound chicken thighs,
breasts, drumsticks,
chopped into 2 to 2 ½ -inch
pieces (leave drumsticks
whole) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce 1 teaspoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon lime juice 1 tablespoon honey In a food processor, puree the shallots with the ginger, ¾ teaspoon of the sambal and ¼ cup water. Stir in coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, black pepper, turmeric, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, the cinnamon and paprika. Rub chicken with marinade, cover and refrigerate 3 to 5 hours or overnight.
Pour 1 to 2 inches oil in a deep skillet, deep fryer or fla tbottomed wok. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry chicken until cooked through and golden brown. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, remaining sambal oelek and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Coat cooked chicken with sauce and serve.
Note: Sambal oelek is a hot chile sauce. It is available in some supermarkets and at Asian markets.
Adapted from Flavors of Malaysia by Susheela Raghava
Food, Pages 29 on 05/29/2013