Chef notes
Give turkey the fried chicken treatment with a dredge of flavorful flour, a coating of spicy batter and a dip in hot oil to make it crispy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cornstarch or corn flour
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 grinds black pepper
- 2 turkey drumsticks, bone in, skin on
- 2 turkey thighs, bone in, skin on
- 4 turkey wings, bone in, skin on, with tips
- 1/2 cup cornstarch or corn flour
- 1/4 cup fine matzo meal
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2½ teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2½ teaspoons granulated onion
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 2 tablespoons Korean chile paste (gochujang)
- Oil, for frying
Preparation
For the dredge:
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, baking powder and pepper. Add the turkey and toss well until evenly coated in all areas. Transfer the turkey to a rack, shaking the turkey well to get rid of any excess coating. Let rest, uncovered, for 1 hour.
For the batter:
1.In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, matzo meal, flour, chile flakes, salt, garlic granules, onion granules and baking powder.
2.In a smaller bowl, whisk together the water, vodka and chile paste. Just before frying, whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture. The consistency should be relatively thin and runny.
3.Pour enough oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil reads 350°F.
4.Working in two batches, dip each piece of turkey into the batter, letting excess batter drip off. Suspend the turkey in the oil for a couple of seconds for it to set before letting it slip completely into the oil (otherwise the turkey will fall and stick to the bottom of the pot). Fry the turkey until golden brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve hot.
