Not so healthy, but oh so yummy! Boncharms chicken :)

My version of Korean "Bonchon-Style" chicken was confirmed delicious when my grandma tasted it for the first time, and she actually liked it! Amma, our term of endearment for our 85-year old beloved grandmother has traditional Ilocano taste buds. So unless the food has Pangasinan Bagoong, or has Ayungin (small tasty fish usually cooked paksiw style) or shellfish in it, she wouldn't really fall in love with the food, though she will eat it, but she will not really indulge. Cooked the Korean Chicken for the first time and served it to my Mom, Cousin, and Amma, and it got good reviews. In fact, Amma was still asking for the left over sauce even until the following days. Now that is good thing. :)

Served it too to my friends a few days back and they also liked it. They gave it the name, "Boncharms". haha So since the recipe is not really that top-secret, I'd like to share it with you so you can try it yourself. :)

KOREAN BONCHARMS CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup organic honey (if you don't have organic, then just use regular honey)
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 tbsp Muscovado sugar (or brown sugar if you don't like muscovado)
1-2 tsp Tabasco sauce (if you like it really spicy, then add some more)
1/8 cup or 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
A pinch of salt
Pepper (put in as much or little as you like)
1/2 cup of ginger cut into large chunks
3 cloves of garlic sliced

How to make the sauce:
In a small sauce pan, saute the ginger and garlic in medium low heat until slightly brown (don't allow the garlic to become too brown please. If you do, you will have to do it over), then pour the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Tabasco sauce, mix and allow all the liquids to heat together, before the mixture boils, add ketchup, sugar, salt and pepper. (Make sure to taste and adjust ingredients according to your preference.) Reduce sauce until it thickens over low heat. Set aside.

FOR THE FRIED CHICKEN:
I believe every family has their own version of fried chicken. But if you want to know how I made mine, here's how I did it.

1 kilo of chicken wings and legs, cleaned*and rinsed well

*When I was 13, my Auntie Didin taught me how to prepare raw chicken before cooking. After cutting up the parts, remove the thin slimy membrane-esq clinging on top of the flesh and underneath the skin of the chicken. If you cant pull out the slime completely, rub the chicken with rock salt while pulling out all the goo. Also remove all the brown fleshy bits and blood in between the bones. This way, the chicken won't taste "malangsa" or it won't have that "not fresh" taste.

2 cups of flour mixed with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 cup of crispy fried chicken mix

For the chicken, put flour mixture into a large bag, then put in chicken, seal the bag and shake it until the chicken becomes fully coated with flour. Heat large frying pan (the deeper the pan, the better), put in a cup or so of oil (palm oil or unflavored coconut oil is the healthiest option) but canola oil works fine. When the oil is hot, put in chicken and allow one side to brown before you flip it to the other side. Make sure that there's no more raw or bloody parts before you remove the chicken from the oil and let it drain on paper towel.

Allow the chicken to cool a little bit. Then put chicken in a deep container, slowly pour in sauce on the chicken, just enough to coat it then turn the chicken in every direction to be fully coated by the sauce. Add more sauce or serve extra sauce as desired.

Then place the chicken inside an oven toaster for about 3 minutes so the skin can get extra crispy and the sauce will become glossy and will cling on the chicken better.

Your chicken should look like this:

Really simple. If you think that you didn't get the sauce right, just practice and make it again next time. Or you could also just dip your fried chicken in some ketchup and it will be equally satisfying. hehe

Enjoy cooking! :)


Pictures taken by my friend, Jerome. :) Thanks! :)