Boneless Dakgangjeong

For the chicken

1. Slice the chicken tenderloins into roughly 2-inch long strips.

2. Place the chicken strips in a bowl and pour in 1/2 cup milk.

3. Soak the chicken in the milk in the refrigerator.

   Then 30 min of waiting

   Soaking chicken in milk makes it extra juicy and removes any gamey odors.

4. Drain the milk from the chicken using a strainer, keeping the chicken moist.

5. Return the drained chicken to the bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and mix well.

6. Add 1 cup of potato starch to a large ziplock bag, then add the seasoned chicken strips.

7. Seal the bag and shake vigorously until every piece of chicken is evenly coated in starch.

For the sauce

8. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup dark corn syrup, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp yellow mustard, and mix well until the sugar dissolves.

9. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the sliced garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant and light golden brown, about 1 minute.

10. Add the dried red peppers to the pan and stir-fry briefly.

11. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the pan with the garlic, ginger, and peppers.

12. Reduce the heat to low, stir gently, and let the sauce simmer until it becomes sticky and bubbly, about 2–3 minutes.

13. Remove the sauce pan from heat and set aside.

For the chicken

14. Heat 4 cups of cooking oil in a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C), about 7–10 minutes.

    Then 8 min of waiting

15. Carefully add the starch-coated chicken pieces to the hot oil one by one to avoid sticking, working in two batches if necessary.

16. Fry the first batch for about 4 minutes, using a skimmer to separate pieces, then transfer to a strainer.

17. Fry the second batch of chicken for about 4 minutes, then transfer to the strainer to join the first batch.

18. Let the oil reheat for about 1 minute until it returns to 350°F (175°C).

    Then 1 min of waiting

19. Return all fried chicken pieces to the hot oil at once for a second fry, cooking for 3 minutes until deeply golden brown and extra crispy.

20. Transfer the double-fried chicken to a strainer to drain excess oil.

21. Submerge the roasted peanuts in the hot oil using a metal skimmer for 10 seconds to make them crunchy, then drain.

To assemble

22. Reheat the sauce pan over medium heat until the sauce is bubbly again.

23. Add the double-fried chicken and crunchy peanuts to the pan.

24. Toss the chicken and peanuts in the sauce vigorously until every piece is coated.

25. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sauced chicken and toss once more.

26. Transfer the coated dakgangjeong onto parchment paper and gently separate any stuck pieces before serving.

27. Double frying is key to keeping the chicken coating extremely crunchy even after being tossed in liquid sauce.

28. Potato starch yields a crisper crust than wheat flour or cornstarch.