Name: Soy-Garlic Popcorn Chicken and Rice Cakes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup cylindrical rice cakes (about 2½" long); 1¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into 1" pieces; 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated; 10 garlic cloves, 2 finely grated, 8 coarsely chopped; 2 Tbsp. mirin, divided; 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more; Freshly ground pepper; ¼ cup soy sauce; 2 Tbsp. sugar; 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1 cup plus 1 tsp. potato starch or cornstarch; 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying (about 1½ cups); Chopped salted roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro (for serving)

Platter of soy garlic popcorn chicken and rice cakes with a serving on a plate and a smaller plate of discarded toothpicks.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie

My love of both KFC popcorn chicken and dakgangjeong, a traditional Korean dish of fried chicken coated in a sticky, sweet, and garlicky glaze (and often topped with nuts or sesame seeds), informed this recipe. These days you can find versions of dakgangjeong that combine the chicken with chewy, lightly pan-fried rice cakes. I took that inspo and ran, turning it into a snacky starter served on a skewer or stick for a finger food no one can resist.

This crisp coating on the chicken is due to two details: potato starch (you can sub corn starch) and the double fry. In the first phase of cooking, you will divide up the chicken into two batches, shallow-frying each with enough space to prevent steaming. In the second phase, everyone goes back into the pool (er, the pan) for a quick final fry. This stage takes barely any time and helps to keep the shell on the popcorn chicken crisp for an extended period (if they don’t all get eaten at once!). One recommendation: Plan to make more than you think if you're expecting guests—this dish has a tendency to disappear faster than you can make ’em.