Especially because I brought back a jar of premium-quality kochujang (spicy bean paste) from Seoul, I wanted to make something which I can really enjoy the flavor of it the other night.
So, I decided to make Dak Galbi, Naoko-style. Dak Galbi is a spicy chicken dish which is very popular in Korea. There are even restaurants which specialize in Dak Galbi in Korea. I made the dish with my Tagine-style Donabe, "Fukkura-san"...perfect donabe for this dish!
First, make layers of ingredients in the order of 1T sesame oil, 1/2 onion (sliced), 6 oz king oyster mushrooms (sliced - I sun-dried them for a day, but you can use fresh kind, too), and 10 oz chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, marinated in 1T shio-koji for a few hours - you can substitute shio-koji with 1/2 tsp sea salt). Drizzle 1T sake and cover with lid (filled in water for 5 minutes and drained bofore use - the lid absorbs moisture and gives a nice steam-effect during cooking) and bring over medium-heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover and pour Dak Galbi sauce (mix together 1.5T kochujang, 1T sake, 1tsp honey, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2T grated ginger, 1tsp grated garlic, and 3T water). Add a few leaves of cabbage (tear by hands). Cover again and cook for 8-10 minutes or until everything is cooked through. Meanwhile, uncover and stir a couple of times.
Uncover again and add a good handful of crysanthemum leaves and stir. Bring the donabe to the table and serve.
The taste was super good! The complex flavor of the spices lingered on palate and made me want more and more. Because it was cooked in donabe, the texture was really juicy and succulent. Delicious.
Happy donabe life.
