Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• cut into ½cm rounds
• 115g/4oz Spanish onions
• thinly sliced
• 50g/2oz sea salt
• 100ml/3½fl oz cider vinegar
• 110g/4oz soft brown sugar
• pinch ground turmeric
• pinch ground cloves
• pinch mustard seeds
• pinch fennel seeds
• 100g/3½oz ssamjang paste
• 50g/2oz gochujang paste
• 30g/1oz spring onions
• finely chopped
• 80g/3oz red onions
• finely chopped
• ½ tsp crushed garlic
• 4 tsp runny honey
• 20g/¾oz sesame seeds
• toasted
• 55g/2oz cayenne pepper
• 40g/1½oz Korean chilli flakes
• 30g/1oz caster sugar
• 30g/1oz sea salt
• 25g/1oz MSG
• 25g/1oz wakame
• crumbled
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp citric acid
• 4 chicken thighs
• skin on
• sunflower oil
• for deep-frying
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tbsp dried oregano
• crumbled
• ½ tbsp dried thyme leaves
• crumbled
• ½ tbsp dried rosemary leaves
• crumbled
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tbsp sea salt flakes
• 50ml/2fl oz evaporated milk
• 1 free-range egg
• 25g/1oz beef dripping
• 2 tsp 'noodle crack' spice mixture (see above)
• 55g/2oz cucumber
• cut into strips
• ½ baby Gem lettuce
• leaves separated
• 55g/2oz kimchi
• 25g/1oz spring onions
• sliced

Directions

• To make the bread and butter pickles
• place the cucumber
• onions and salt in a sieve set over a large bowl and cover with ice. Put some plates and other heavy items on top to weigh everything down and refrigerate for 3 hours. Drain off all of the liquid and rinse off all the salt in cold water. Drain again thoroughly.
• Meanwhile
• heat the vinegar
• sugar
• turmeric
• cloves
• mustard seeds
• fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan. Add the cucumber and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
• To make the ssamjang relish
• place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
• To make the 'noodle crack' spice mixture
• add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse to a coarse powder.
• To make the fried chicken
• rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Tip the flour
• dried herbs
• cayenne pepper
• white pepper and salt into a large polythene bag. Shake until well combined.
• In a bowl
• beat the evaporated milk and eggs together until well combined.
• Dip a chicken thigh into the milk mixture until completely coated
• then place it in the polythene bag. Twist the bag closed and shake vigorously until the thigh is completely coated. Remove the thigh from the bag and set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining thighs.
• Carefully lower the chicken thighs into the hot oil
• one at a time
• using tongs. Cook for 15–20 minutes
• turning regularly
• until crisp and deep golden-brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Check that the chicken is cooked through and has no traces of pink at the thickest part of the thigh.
• Drizzle the beef dripping over the cooked thighs then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the “noodle crackâ€� spice mixture all over them (the remaining mixture can be stored in an airtight jar). Transfer the chicken thighs to a serving platter and arrange the cucumber strips
• lettuce leaves
• kimchi
• spring onion
• bread and butter pickles and the bowl of ssamjang relish around the chicken. Serve immediately.