The Best Korean Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 3/4 cups corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 2 quarts peanut oil or vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 recipe Sweet Soy Sauce or Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder until evenly mixed. Add the chicken wings and turn them through the mixture so the coating reaches all sides. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, transfer the wings to the rack, and shake them well as you go so any loose coating falls off. Refrigerate the wings uncovered for at least 30 minutes, or leave them there up to overnight.
2. When you are ready to fry, heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a Dutch oven, deep fryer, or large wok.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, the flour, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt until combined. Add the water and vodka, then whisk until the batter is smooth. If it seems too thick, whisk in up to 2 tablespoons additional water. It should be as loose as thin paint, falling from the whisk in narrow ribbons that disappear back into the batter almost immediately.
4. Add half of the wings to the batter. Lift the wings out one at a time, letting the extra batter drip back into the bowl, and use your finger to clear away any heavy patches or pools of batter. Carefully ease each wing into the hot oil, then do the same with the rest of that batch. Fry for about 8 minutes, moving and turning the wings with a metal spider or slotted spatula as they cook, until they are evenly golden and crisp from end to end. Transfer the wings to a plate lined with paper towels and salt them immediately. Keep them warm while you fry the remaining wings.
5. Serve the wings plain, toss them with Sweet Soy Sauce, toss them with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce, or pass the sauce on the side.