Dakgalbi - Korean Spicy Chicken

Dakgalbi originates from Chuncheon, a city northeast of Seoul, where the dish is served bubbling on a large, communal pan in the middle of the table. Succulent pieces of chicken are stir-fried with pointed cabbage, sweet potato, onion, and tteok - chewy Korean rice cakes - in a deep, dark red gochujang sauce that hits sweet, spicy, and rich notes all at once. It's a dish meant to be cooked and eaten together directly from the pan, and finally, it's traditional to stir cooked rice into the seasoned leftovers so nothing goes to waste.

• Cuisine: South Korea
• Time: 35-45 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade of gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, pressed garlic, and grated ginger into a smooth, dark red paste.
2. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, toss them thoroughly in the marinade, and let them marinate for at least 15 minutes - preferably an hour, so the flavour penetrates deeply.
3. Slice the sweet potato thinly so it has time to soften, and roughly chop the pointed cabbage and onion.
4. Heat a large pan or wok with a little neutral oil, and fry the marinated chicken until it browns and begins to caramelize.
5. Add sweet potato, pointed cabbage, onion, and tteok, and continue to fry, stirring regularly.
6. Add a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick, optionally cover for a moment, and let the dish simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
7. Taste and adjust with a little more gochujang or sugar, so the balance between spicy and sweet suits your preference.
8. Finally, stir in fresh spring onions, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately from the pan.

Tips

• For a milder version, add grated cheese over the pan at the end, Korean street food style - it mellows the spice and adds creamy richness.
• Save leftovers: stir cooked rice into the spicy sauce the next day for a quick bokkeumbap (fried rice).
• Let the chicken marinate a little longer if you have time - the flavour will penetrate deeper and become more intense.
• If using tteok, soak the chewy rice cakes in lukewarm water for a moment first if they are hard.