The K-Town Chicken Wings as Served at Del Seoul in Chicago, Illinois, as seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 28.
Recipe courtesy of Del Seoul

K-Town Wings

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  • Level: Advanced
  • Total: 3 hr 50 min (includes cooling time)
  • Active: 1 hr 15 min
  • Yield: 8 wings

Ingredients

Wings:

Seasoning:

Dredge and Fry:

Wing Sauce:

Chili Garlic Paste:

Spiced Water:

Directions

  1. For the wings: Cut chicken wings into lollipops or cut wings at the joints, discarding the wing tips. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry.
  2. For the seasoning: Combine salt, chicken base, garlic powder, ginger powder and white pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken wings and toss together. Marinate wings in the fridge between 2 and 4 hours.
  3. For the dredge and fry: Add the beaten egg to the wings and toss to coat the wings evenly.
  4. Combine all-purpose and rice flours in a bowl. Add chicken wings to the bowl and shake off the excess flour. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  5. Heat oil to 325 degrees F in a deep saucepot. Add the chicken wings one at a time to the hot oil. Fry the wings for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat from the oil, remove the wings and let cool to room temperature.
  6. Heat oil back up to 350 degees F and fry the wings once again for 5 minutes.
  7. For the sauce: Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, honey, sesame oil and white pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Add the chili garlic paste, spiced water and orange slice and gently fold into the sauce.
  8. Add 5 ounces of the wing sauce to a skillet or a pan. Reduce the sauce until it becomes partially caramelized. Add fried chicken to the pan and carefully coat the wings with the sauce. Plate the wings and add chopped scallions and sesame seeds for garnish.

Chili Garlic Paste:

Yield: 1/4 cup paste
  1. Heat oil in a skillet until just before it starts smoking. Turn heat off and add garlic. Cook garlic until it changes color slightly (do not burn the garlic). Add chile flakes and stir until the mixture becomes fragrant, then remove from the stove. Set aside.

Spiced Water:

Yield: 1/4 cup
  1. Heat 1/4 cup water in a skillet or saucepan until it boils. Add the peppercorns and continue to boil, 5 minutes. Remove the peppercorns with a strainer and reserve remaining liquid.