Korean Festival set to return

The 16th annual Korean Festival comes to the Honolulu Hale Civic Grounds on Friday and Saturday, with a lineup of 13 food and snack vendors, and lots of entertainment.

Performances include Fantastie and Cho Eun along with K-pop dancers, a Korean song contest, traditional dance and martial art performances, a kim chee eating contest, traditional games and much more. Bring the family to this lively cultural event, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. For more on the festival see TGIF in Friday’s Star-Advertiser.

This week try a few Korean recipes, compliments of chef Grant Sato from Kapiolani Community College.

SPICY FRIED CHICKEN

• 1 pound chicken wings or drumettes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• >> Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup kochujang (red chili paste; available at most grocery stores)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a large bowl, combine chicken with salt and pepper; mix well to evenly distribute seasonings. Add egg and mix well; add cornstarch, rice flour and flour; toss until all of the flour sticks to the chicken.

In a deep fryer or deep pot, heat 6 cups of oil over medium. When oil reaches 350 degrees, fry chicken until cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees).

To make sauce: In a small saute pan, heat oil; add garlic. When garlic starts to sizzle and brown, add ketchup, honey, kochujang and vinegar; cook until a thick sauce forms. Toss fried chicken in sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 700 calories, 34 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,000 mg sodium, 82 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 62 g sugar, 21 g protein.

CLAM NOODLE SALAD

• 1 Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced on bias
• 1/2 onion, cut in fine julienne
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in fine julienne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or ground
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup gochugaru (coarsely ground red pepper; available at grocery stores), or more to taste
• 1 cup chopped clams with juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1 bundle cooked somen noodles

Combine cucumber, onion and red bell pepper in a bowl; toss with salt. Add garlic, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, gochugaru and clams; mix well and let mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Add green onion and sesame seeds; toss well.

Form somen into 4 clusters and arrange around a platter; place clam mixture in center. Or mound somen on individual plates and top each with a portion of the clam mixture. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 530 calories, 12 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, at least 1,650 mg sodium, 82 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 22 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.