What Is Koko Chicken?

Preparation

• If you plan on grilling mere minute after you decide to make koko chicken, your chicken won't have nearly as much flavor as it could have if you plan ahead. To give the chicken its best flavor, marinate it in the refrigerator for at least an hour before you grill. Excellent ingredients for marinating koko chicken include freshly grated garlic and ginger, chopped onions, grated Asian pear and gochujang--a savory, fermented Korean condiment. The chicken can sit in its marinade overnight if you want to save time the following day.

Frying Techniques

• Koko chicken requires a wet batter instead of a dry one. You can make a standard batter from 2/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2/3 cup water. Mix the ingredients and drop the chicken pieces into the batter to coat. Fry the chicken in hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels. Many koko chicken connoisseurs recommend frying the chicken twice: after the chicken is drained, return it to the hot oil for another 6 to 8 minutes and then drain it again.

Sauces

• After the chicken is fried, put it in a sauce. You can buy a bottled sauce or make your own from scratch. When you make your own, you can control the spiciness. For a group dinner, offer a variety of sauces and condiments. Good choices include honey, sesame oil, soy sauce and Korean chili pastes. If you like your sauces sweet, add a little brown sugar to the mixture.

Menu

• Although koko chicken is technically barbecue, its flavors don't fit in with traditional barbecue menu items like potato salad and corn on the cob. To complement the complex flavors in koko chicken, serve sides like rice, kimchi, a basic lettuce salad and ssamjang--a spicy Korean paste.