Alice updated..... A revised Chicken Alice Fried Chicken recipe

I had actually started a post called "Goodbye Alice".... I had finally used up the last bottle of Park's Brand Kimchee Sauce, and made my last batch of Chicken Alice Fried Chicken. If you're wondering who Chicken Alice is, and what's the big deal about her fried chicken, you can read the Honolulu Star Bulletin article from 2005 here. And if you'd like to read about how much I enjoyed Chicken Alice's Fried Chicken my original post is here. Well enough of that..... this is part of what I thought my last batch of Chicken Alice's chicken looked like:

 
There's a certain crispy-sticky texture that the batter has. Courtesy of this:

And over the years, whenever I had visitors who asked me what I wanted.... I'd say Park's Brand Kim Chee Sauce.... boy did I get some really interesting responses....... of all the things I'd want from home, it was a second rate Kim Chee base. Needing refrigeration, I knew it was a hassle getting this for me, so I decided to stop asking...... and so I thought I'd made my last batch.

Until, on a recent visit to Marukai Gardena, I spied this:

I couldn't believe my eyes...... after making sure that I wasn't suffering from some sort of dementia, I bought three bottles. You see, I'd been less than pleased with my last couple of batches.... I still enjoyed the chicken, but it tasted a bit dated. Personally, I think people enjoy bolder flavors nowadays, and this recipe was starting to be a bit..... well, "Chicken Alice a la King".... a recipe from another generation. Now that I had a decent stock on hand, I decided to experiment a bit. Recently. I've been updating my mochiko, and other chicken recipes replacing flour with rice flour, which creates a lighter, sweeter, a slightly more crisp batter. So my first shot was replacing the flour in the recipe with rice flour:

 
Based on the amount of water in the recipe, I should have known better...... the batter was too thin, and didn't adhere well to the chicken. I think I could have done some neato-Korean voodoo-Kyochon-double frying, and perhaps have gotten a better results, but I love the crunchy batter. In the end, the changes were minor. I added sugar, because I enjoy a tad more sweetness. I upped the garlic to one entire bulb. I added a teaspoon of Korean Red Chili powder for more heat, and the biggest change, to lighten up, and give me some good crispness, I added baking powder. Nothing like a bit more leavening to get things crisp and light.

Compare it to the first photo, and you'll notice a much more crunchy batter. One real serious item...... adding sugar means that these babies will burn if not tended right. I did end up double frying. The Missus, who is suffering from PPTSS (Post Poultry Tramatic Stress Syndrome, as detailed in this post), ended up taking most of the chicken to work. And I heard it went over well. 

Chicken Alice Fried Chicken revised
5 pounds chicken wings
Vegetable oil for deep frying 

Batter:
1/2 cup Parks brand kim chee sauce
1 bulb galic minced
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2-1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Korean Red Pepper powder (optional)

Combine kim chee sauce, garlic, salt, sugar, baking powder, and flour. Add water gradually, enough to make a thick batter, about the consistency of pancake batter.

Add chicken pieces to batter, mix well and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Heat oil to 350 degrees.Deep-fry chicken pieces until chicken rises to surface and is light brown. Remove and cool for five minutes return to oil and fry until coating is deep brown, and chicken pieces float.It's important to keep the oil at this temperature in order to assure the perfect crisp coating.

Comments

[kat]

never tried chicken alice's but this looks really spicy and good!

[bill]

Hmmmmm give me some! ;-)
Looks good regardless and nothing beats the home cooking.

[Kirk]

Hi Kat - Strangely, in spite of looks, the recipe is not that spicy.

Hi Bill - Thanks.... I'd love to give you some.

[foodhoe]

yummy! the recipe looks simple enough and tasty - especially the marinate overnight and then fry with no extra steps.

[Dennis]

Awesome post Kirk. Loved reading that article on Alice too. I doubt you stepped foot in a Yoshinoya recently but have you tried their wings? They're very "sesame" and I find them strangely addicting... :)

[Carol]

Wooo-mama that looks delicious! I haven't made Chicken Alice wings in a long time but I'm really tempted to make a trip up to Gardena just to pick up some sauce. And lookee, right next to it is Hawaiian Chili Water!!! Double mama!!

[Kirk]

Hi FH - It is a pretty easy recipe.

Hi Dennis - I still hav never set food in a Yoshinoya..... there's something about the place that wards me off.

Hi Carol - You can make the most of your trip by grabbing a bite (or two) while up there. It always makes for a fun road trip.

[Rita]

Thanks for the recipe. Its been 20 years and I still remember Chicken Alice fondly. Do you know if Parks Brand Kim Chee sauce is still available? I could not find it online. It seems that Parks Brand is now part of Halms Enterprises, but I don't see kim chee sauce in their line-up.
http://www.halmsenterprises.com

[Kirk]

Hi Rita - I just bought some from Safeway on my last trip back home. I've seen it on occasion at Marukai in Gardena and Costa Mesa. So I know it is still being produced.

[Katherine Leigh]

Since the availability of the Parks sauce seems to be hit-or-miss at best, I can't understand why you Hawaiians sheepishly continue to use it? Why if I had a jar of this sauce, I could duplicate it exactly from commonly available ingredients.

S&S Saimin - do you STILL eat that stuff?

You islanders would be better off if you learned to make things yourselves and eliminated the middlemen instead of relying on department stores for everything you need.

[EdgarEdgarEdgar]

I can't find this exact brand/sauce. But, I see several diff brands of similar product ("kimchi base/sauce" for making kimchi) at Mitsuwa and Marukai (now, renamed, Tokyo Central) in Costa Mesa. Though, Tokyo Central Does have "Parks Korean Hot Sauce"(didn't have the seafood/same indgs in it, so I skipped it) and not "Kim Chee Sauce"..so I got a diff brand Kimchee Base/Sauce; but made sure it had similar ingredients to "Parks Kinchee Sauce" (fish, paprika, garlic, ginger, msg, etc.). Hope it works. I'll probably check Tokyo Cent again in the future; since at least I know they carry the Parks brand and may have it again in the future.

[Kirk]

Hi Edgar - I'll check the next time I'm up there. I'm thinking the rebranding means its more Japan focused and Parks is a Hawaii brand. Good luck!

[EdgarEdgarEdgar]

Thanks Kirk. Updates on sauce locations are always appreciated :)

I assume/read you're in SD (I'm in OC). Like I have said, I've checked Murasai/TokyoCentral and Mitsuwa so far. And, they both don't have "Parks Kim Chee Sauce"; but, that can always change I guess. I haven't checked the big H-Mart in the Diamond Plaza on Jamboree yet, nor other places in Irvine (like Zion, 99, etc.). So you might want to check HMart(especially since it's Korean focused) and other places.

Anyways...my first batch is done marinating (a diff brand "Kimchi Base") and I'm about to fry some up right now today :)

Btw..I am not Hawaiian and I have never had Alice's wings. But, I stumbled on your recipe by accident and they look very very very similar to certain wings I have had in SF (the same exact color) - which I have been searching a recipe on for a while and also had many failed attempts myself. I have tried many recipes; but never came remotely close to color nor taste. Yours looks hauntingly close (in color and I also am guessing the "base" (which is very concentrated) will aid in taste). Also important to mention, the SF restaurant's menu and decor are very reminiscent of a Hawaiian-Korean joint - dry spicy korean chicken wings (that look like yours/Alice's and not the typical saucy Korean wings), spam stews, garlic cheese fries, mussels, other westernized Korean/Asian foods, etc. It's called Toyose in SF ..popular and is known as a straight Korean place, and not Hawaiian-Korean at all...but, the decor and the wings/menu alone, make me think the owners are either from Hawaii, or have had Alice's old school famous wings, or both. Regardless, Toyose is very famous in SF, primarily for their unique wings. A recipe I really want to figure out.

[Kirk]

I'll let you know if I find it Edgar! I used to live in Hacienda Heights for more than a few years and the Marukai in West Covina had it once or twice. Good luck on your quest!

[caninecologne]

@Edgar, I've actually eaten at Toyose but haven't tried those wings! Next time I visit my cousin, we'll have to try them.

Kirk, i've never had wings with that flavor combination. it sounds quite interesting, the mix of ingredients.

[Kirk]

Hi CC - Chicken Alice's wings have been missed for decades. It was a classic back when I was younger and lived in Honolulu.
Here's a story you might like:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/02/16/features/index1.html

From my earlier post on the wings.

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/10/chicken_like_al.html

[Jocelyn]

Yum! Kirk- did you sub out all flour for rice flour in the final recipe? The ingredient list says "flour". Planning on making this for a weekend fundraiser.
What do you think of doing the first fry the night before, and the second fry in the morning? Do you think it would crisp up?
thanks!

[Kirk]

Hi Jocelyn - I ended up liking the final version with baking powder added better....just needed a bit of leavening. I believe I mentioned that the rice flour version ended up too thin. I'd do the double fry before you serve. Fry everything once, then after a few minutes do the second fry....I have done the double fry the night before, but sometimes the interior doesn't get hot enough....though it does cook all the way through! Good Luck!

[EdgarEdgarEdgar]

Hi ya'll,

I've done this recipe several times already successfully. But, with a diff brand kimchi base/sauce; as I haven't found the Park's brand yet. I hope soon though.

Here are my mods to the recipe:

For the dry mixture I use:
50/50 or 1:1, flour:cornstarch mix. The cornstarch crisps it right up, while retaining body from the flour. Rice flour or Tapioca starch would work even better.

I also add a little black pepper.

I use less water than in recipe (adjust till you have the consistency of tempura batter - thin ribbons from spoon that disappear quickly).

I add large red pepper flakes (like the pizza red pepper packets) since my kimchi base doesn't have any, like the Parks Brand does.

For the garlic, I use much less than an entire bulb. I really don't think it's needed. For a whole recipe, maybe 6-8 cloves; and for half recipe, 3-4 cloves. I also crush or mortal pestle the garlic instead of mincing them. This juices and releases much more garlic flavor into the marinade than chopped/minced garlic.

Peace,
E

[Caroline Young]

I live in Reno NV, no chance of getting Park's Brand Kimchee sauce here. So my husband, who LOVES Chicken Alice wings from having visited Honolulu in the 90s, emailed Halms in Hawaii, and a very nice gentleman (can't remember his name) responded immediately. He fedexed the sauce (on ice) to us. However, you need to buy a case (12 bottles, but they're small), and the price was around $60 or so, including fedex shipment. To us it was worth it, because the stuff keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator, and if you're a Chicken Alice nut, you'll use it up eventually.