Korean Fried Chicken

Do not wash the raw chicken.

Remove it directly from the package, press every surface dry with disposable paper towels, and trim only loose fat or stray bone fragments.

Rub 8 g of salt, 2 g of black pepper, and 4 g of garlic powder over every chicken piece, arrange the pieces without stacking, and season in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Pour the oil into a deep pot to no more than half its height and heat it to 165°C.

Set a wire rack over a tray and keep an instant-read thermometer nearby.

Mix the flour, potato starch, baking powder, and remaining 4 g of salt, add 240 ml of ice-cold water, and whisk for only 20 seconds until no dry flour remains and the batter resembles light cream.

Dip one chicken piece at a time in the batter, let the excess drip for 5 seconds, and lower it into the oil.

Work in two or three batches so the pot is not crowded.

For the first fry, hold the oil between 155°C and 160°C for 8 to 10 minutes.

Move the chicken to the rack when the coating is firm and pale gold and the bubbling around each piece has slowed.

Rest the first-fried chicken on the rack for 5 minutes while heating the oil to 185°C.

Fry again for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove it when the surface is evenly golden and audibly crisp.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest flesh of the largest piece without touching bone and confirm at least 74°C.

If it is lower, return the piece to 175°C oil for 1 minute at a time and test a new spot after each interval.

Drain the finished chicken on the wire rack for 2 minutes so oil and steam can escape, then plate and serve it without sauce before the thin shell softens.