Korean fried chicken with gochujang glaze

For the marinade, whisk the warm water and brown sugar together in a large bowl until fully dissolved. Stir in the remaining ingredients with a pinch of black pepper and leave to cool. Store in the fridge until needed

Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours (avoid marinating overnight as it can cure the meat)

For the quick-pickled radishes, whisk the hot water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until fully dissolved. Stir in the cold water and rice vinegar, then add the radishes and press down to submerge. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days)

For the gochujang sauce, combine all the ingredients except the cornflour in a medium saucepan. Warm over a medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the has sugar dissolved

Whisk the cornflour slurry into the sauce and bring it to a brief simmer, whisking constantly until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve for a glossy, smooth glaze. Keep warm

For the chicken batter, mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside

In a separate bowl, combine the water and vodka and chill until you’re ready to fry

Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade, and pat the pieces dry on kitchen paper

Place most of the cornflour in a wide, shallow dish (you can top up if needed, to prevent wastage)

Working in batches, toss the chicken in the cornflour to coat thoroughly; shake off all of the excess and lay out in a single layer on a wire rack over a tray

Preheat the oven to 90°C. Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium-high heat, or preheat a deep-fat fryer to 160°C. Set up a second wire rack over a tray for the cooked chicken

Just before frying, combine the wet and dry batter ingredients: pour the chilled vodka and water mixture into the dry mixture and whisk to a loose, paint-like consistency – mixing too early encourages gluten development, which dulls the crispness, so do this at the last minute

For the first fry – and working in batches of 3-4 pieces – dip each dredged piece of chicken into the batter, letting the excess drip off, then carefully lower into the oil. Hold the piece below the surface with tongs for the first 5-10 seconds so the batter sets and the chicken doesn’t stick, then release. Fry for about 4 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp, turning occasionally, then remove from the oil and allow to rest 2 minutes. Repeat until all of the chicken has been fried

For the second fry, heat the oil to 190°C

Working in batches again, refry all of the pieces for 1-2 minutes until deep golden, or until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 74°C. Keep the pieces in the oven on a rack over a baking tray to keep warm whilst you cook the rest

Brush the fried chicken with the warm sauce in a thin, even layer

Drain the pickled radishes

To plate, use a pastry brush to paint a stripe of gochujang across each plate (loosen the gochujang with ½ tsp water if it is too stiff). Sprinkle the white and black sesame seeds over the stripe while the gochujang is still tacky

Arrange 2-3 pieces of fried chicken on top of each stripe. Garnish with the curly spring onions and sliced chilli. Lay a few radish pieces alongside, then finish with micro cress and chive batons. Serve immediately