Dakgangjeong – Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken
Fire in the kitchen…
I don’t do too much frying at home. I find it extremely messy plus I can be quite clumsy in the kitchen. While filming this featured recipe, I started a fire on the stove top. Luckily I put it out very quickly. When there’s hot oil, everyone should be cooking with extra care and attention.
Although I might fry food on the stove top a couple of times a year besides using my CoolDaddy Deep Fryer (much safer kitchen tool for my clumsiness), I still have recipes that I insist on making because they are so scrumptious like Dakgangjeong – what? It’s Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken!
When I was going to Ahuntsic College in Montréal, I started hanging out with this Korean girl. She was funny, smart and intriguing. I’ve always been attracted to other cultures and back in high school, I used to hang out with Mona who, if my memory is correct, was from Cambodia. I just love to learn about and discover new cultures , customs, traditions, and food…
Sadly I forgot my Korean friend’s name as we didn’t stay in touch that long because she moved back to Seoul for a job opportunity. Back in the 80s’, who really owned a computer at home let alone a cellular phone with a battery the size of a brick therefore it was easy to lose contact with someone… what a bummer!
Before she left though, she invited me over to her apartment and cooked a lovely Korean chicken dinner. It was fiery spicy as I didn’t eat any “hot” food at all back then – things have sure changed with time… lol! Besides the burning sensation in my mouth, I really enjoyed her dinner. She gave me a few gifts along with her recipe… Dakgangjeong!
Fire in your mouth…? Not really!
With some slight changes to this Korean chicken recipe, 35 years later I still enjoy it! Is it spicy? Not really! It has some zip to it but not as much as when I was a college student that wasn’t used to it. The flavors marry so well together; salty, sweet, and spicy… this is a match made in heaven!
There’s one ingredient though that brings the “heat” and it’s “gochujang” which is a hot pepper paste. If you can’t handle spiciness, reduce the amount of it and you’ll be just fine. This is one of those ingredients that are spicy at first but by the time you cook it with other foods , it adds an amazing flavor.
These days we’re so lucky because there’s no reason not to stay in touch with friends and family. I really wish we could have half the technology of today back then because there are so many incredible human beings I met that I wish I could still be in contact with. The only link I have from her is her lovely Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken recipe and the great memories of my time shared with her.
Bon Appétit!
Here are several other delicious Asian inspired recipes for you to enjoy…
– Mandarin Chicken
– Singapore Noodles
– Quick & Easy Chicken Chop Suey
– Vietnamese Summer Rolls
– Wonton Soup
– Chinese 5 Spice Spare Ribs
– Thai Chicken Curry
and for even more chicken and poultry recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry
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Dakgangjeong - Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken
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Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk tips & tricks
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- canola oil, for frying tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup cornstarch (substitute unbleached all-purpose flour or potato starch)
- jasmine rice, for serving *optional
- 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped peanuts, for garnish
- 1 tbsp. chopped green onions (green parts only), for garnish
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking rice wine (substitute mirin)
- 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. gochujang (hot pepper paste)
- 1/4 cup honey, or more to taste tips & tricks
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, such as demerara
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always used mixed peppercorns)
Directions
CHICKEN
- Place the chicken pieces in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in buttermilk; stir to mix and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Drain well and transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add garlic, ginger, black pepper, and salt; marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, pour in about 1-inch of oil and heat it up until it reaches 350ºF. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- Transfer the chicken pieces onto a plate and sprinkle cornstarch over, coating well.
- Working in batches, drop the chicken pieces in hot oil and fry them for 4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Using a spider strainer, remove the pieces and to prevent from getting soggy, place them on a wire rack sitting on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Place the fried chicken in the warm sauce and quickly toss to coat well. DON’T let them sit too long otherwise they will get soggy and not BE crispy anymore.
- Serve them over a bed of rice and garnish with peanuts and green onions.
SAUCE
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine Shoaxing wine, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
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