Tee's Spin on Fish Jeon and Korean Fried Chicken
Hello lovelies how are y’all doing? It’s getting to be that time of year…Christmas. As always, I’m not prepared for it lol, but now that the kids are older, we focus more on the meal and the time we get to spend together as a family. I mean, that’s what it's supposed to be about right? Some of my favourite memories are meals that I’ve shared with loved ones, to me there is something so lovely about enjoying good company and food.
Korean food has an extra special place in my heart as my family’s go-to restaurant was “Korean Gardens” whenever we would eat out. I remember it being such a happy time, my brother and I always eyeing up the last piece of spring roll…. they were so delicious and different. Ground beef, bean sprouts, green onions and a few other things wrapped in a soft thin pancake, sliced and served with a seasoned soy sauce. Korean Gardens turned into B-Bim-Baap and the only thing that changed was that the spring rolls were no longer on the menu ☹, if anyone knows how to make them or where to get them PLEASE let me know!
Fish jeon is one of my favourite dishes (lol I know you hear me say that often…what can I say I LOVE FOOD!). The egg coating on the tender flakey fish is so wonderful, then the delicious dipping sauce just makes it magical. Over the years I have tried to duplicate this dish and have come pretty close, the recipe I tried this time was just as delicious, but the coating was a bit heavier than I prefer, and I would rather use sole instead of cod. The sauce recipe that I tried was good however, I would add less rice vinegar, but that’s just my taste preference.
Korean Fried Chicken…. what can I say; to me, it is the best-fried chicken hands down. I know I know; I’m going to have a lot of KFC and Popeyes fans mad but it’s the truth. I would even go as far to say its better than my dads Trinidad fried chicken, not my grandma K’s though, lol. It's light and crispy and juicy…. And the sauce; oh, the sauce, it’s a perfect balance of umami with sweet and spicy. There really isn’t anything I would change about this recipe, to the sauce I may add more garlic and siracha, and double it just because it is that delicious and is great to dip in.
I really do hope you try 1 or both recipes, you will not be disappointed! And if you are please feel free to let me know. I’d love to hear what you think, or if you have any recipes you’d like me to try, any comments or questions, please feel free to reach out 😊. Stay Tuned for more deliciousness.
Egg-Battered Alaskan Pollack/ Dongtae Jeon
Makes 6-8 servings
4 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Flour for dusting
Vegetable oil for cooking
1 pound Alaskan pollack sliced about ¼ inch thick
Seasoned soy sauce
1. Beat eggs with salt in a small bowl as if you're going to scramble them.
2. Pour a bit of flour on a large plate and spread it out. Leave the flour out since you'll need to add more as you go.
3. Heat enough vegetable oil to thinly cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Working with one piece at a time, duat the fish on both sides in the flour, dip into the egg, and immediately place in the skillet. Fry the fish in a single layer until slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
4. Serve immediately with seasoned soy sauce.
Seasoned Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
½ Tsp garlic (minced)
½ green onion (thinly sliced)
1 green chilli pepper (thinly sliced)
1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and let sit.
Recipe Credit: Quick and Easy Korean Cooking
Korean Fried Chicken
Serves 4-6
3 pounds chicken drumsticks or split chicken wings
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup plus 1/3 cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying ( about 10 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup vodka
Toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
1. Toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Whisk ½ cup cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon baking powder in a medium bowl. Coat the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess. Transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet and let sit, uncovered, to set the coating, 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring until just softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha and sesame oil; bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. Fill a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, remaining 1/3 cup cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon baking powder and 2 pinches salt in a medium bowl. Add the vodka and 1/3 cup cold water and whisk until the batter is smooth and very thin ( about the consistency of half and half). If needed, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the batter.
4. One at a time, dip about half the chicken pieces in the batter, letting any excess drip off. Then, using tongs, hold the chicken halfway in the hot oil for 1 to 2 seconds before letting go completely ( this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot). If any pieces stick together, gently separate them with the tongs. The oil temperature will drop; adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature between 300 and 325. Fry the chicken until the coating is crisp but not browned, about 6 minutes. Remove to a rack set on a baking sheet to drain. ( The chicken will not be fully cooked at this stage.) Let the oil temp return to 350 before frying the remaining chicken.
5. Double fry the chicken: Increase the oil temperature to 375. Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken again until the coating is browned and very crisp, 4 to 6 minutes for wings and 6 to 8 minutes for drumsticks. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature of 350. Remove with tongs and transfer to a clean rack set on a baking sheet; brush all over with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe Credit: Food Network Magazine June 2018