Crispy fried chicken

This recipe was inspired by David Chang's book (Momofuku). David is famous for his restaurants in New York and this fried chicken is an all time favourite. If I am not mistaken it costs US$100 a plate. The process is lengthy but the outcome is well worth the effort for me. To some people who could not taste the difference, it may not be worth the hassle. 

Ingredients:

5 chicken drumsticks and 10 full wings (6-7 servings)

Brine Solution:

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup coarse salt (I thought ½ cup coarse salt would be too salty, so I reduced it to ¼ cup)

2 cups boiled water to dissolve sugar and salt in a bowl

2 cups tap water to add on after dilution to bring solution to lukewarm

Spring onions for garnishing.

Octo Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 small fresh hot green chilli seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
2 tbs balsamc vinegar
3 tbs  usukuchi (light soy sauce)
2 tbs olive oil
2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoons sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Marinate the chicken for 1-1.5 hour in brine solution.

Remove from brine, rinse and steam the wings for 12 minutes and drumsticks for 20 minutes.

I transfer to a large plate and place it near the window to cool down (for at least 1 hour, the longer the drier the better)  with the cold spring draft. The chicken wings look good and very appetizing.

When cooled and ready to fry, rub the chicken with some dark soy sauce to give it a nice brown colour when finished.

I used the wok and poured in about 4 cups of vegetable oil, bring it up to high heat and then slide in enough chicken to fill the oil, cover with oil splatter and cook for about 6 minutes, turning after every 2 minutes. Cook in small batches. Remove and drain on paper towel. Toss with the Octo Vinaigrette while it is still hot. Garnish with spring onions.