I seem to be cooking a lot of chicken dishes lately, probably because I find that chicken is such a versatile ingredient that can be prepared in so many ways and rather quickly too. Also, I don't tend to get tired of eating chicken as much as I do other meats like beef, lamb or pork. In today's post, I am sharing with you a recipe for Dak Bulgogi by Hyosun of Eating and Living fame. I'm sure many of you are familiar with her blog and the mouth-watering photos and recipes of delicious Korean food. I was captivated by photos of her Dak Bulgogi and couldn't wait to try making it too. So I went out to buy some Ssamjang, which is like a spicy soybean paste type of chilli sauce (or paste) that you will usually find at Korean bbqs where you add it to your grilled meats before wrapping them in lettuce leaves. It tastes so good with the chicken bulgogi!
The marinade for the chicken is predominantly soy, ginger and honey, so it's quite similar to the Chinese version of honey soy chicken, except that this one has quite a punch from the ginger as well as some zing from the lemon juice. When eaten with the ssamjang and wrapped in lettuce leaves, it transforms into something different altogether, as the ssamjang has that big taste of Korea that is quite addictive. Hyosun suggests that you can also serve it with doenjang if you don't have ssamjang. I really enjoyed this dish, alongside some spicy Kongnamul Muchim (seasoned soy bean sprouts) which I also made. Yum!
Dak Bulgogi
Ingredients:
500g (or 1 pound) boneless chicken thigh fillets
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey (or 1-1/3 more tablespoons brown sugar)
1 tablespoon rice wine (or mirin)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
To serve:
Lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Ssamjang/Doenjang
Method
Cut each of the chicken pieces into small sizes (about 2-inch long and 1-inch wide).
Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Combine chicken with marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat a skillet (or a large non-stick wok) over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Cook until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes each side. (The sugar and honey in the marinade will burn easily, so watch it carefully and add the reserved marinade by tablespoon when the pan gets dry. You can slightly reduce the heat to avoid burning. Dish out on to a plate. To serve, take a piece of lettuce and place a little ssamjang/doenjang in the middle, followed by a piece of chicken. Wrap up in the lettuce and enjoy!
11 comments:
Hi Fern, you must be a great fan of Korean dishes! I can see that this dish looks absolutely delicious.
That looks amazing! I really like the shine on it!
I can two bowls of rice to go with this dish, sound simply yummy!
WOW!!! Like, like, like! All i need is rice and some kimchi!
Hi Fern! You are so quick! I saw this at Hyosun's blog and it's "still" in my to-make list. =P I need to make time for trying new dishes... You made Hyosun very proud. Looks absolutely delicious!!
Hi Fern - I am sorry I didn't get to come by sooner. It's been really hectic for me, trying to keep up with all blogging commitments and other issues in life. My mother-in-law is ill, and I am trying to help things out. So time is very limited for me these days. Don't tell anyone, but I think your dak bulgogi looks much better than mine. Very impressive, and yes you made me very proud as Nami said. Thank you very much for trying out another recipe and mentioning it here!!
Hi Hyosun,
Thanks for your kind words. I'm always too happy to try your recipes. I just need to find the time to try more. I appreciate it that you took time in your hectic schedule to leave your comments. Hope things get better for you soon.
wow... the chicken looks veeery tasty. I'm trying this recipe soon!
Oh now I am absolutely craving Korean. I might even have to try this.
Excuse me but you don't say what you fried the chicken with or what lettuce is used? I've become addicted to Korean dramas so I frequently see them eating this. Wrapping it up and stuffing it in their mouths. I've brought some ssamjang recently as I'd never seen it on the grocery shelves before. How do you serve it? Is it after the chicken is done and then you dip it? Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Looks great! If there wasn't snow outside I'd barbecue it! lol :) Songs
Hi Anonymous
For the chicken, just add a little oil into the pan/skillet and fry until browned and cooked. You can use any lettuce, e.g. iceberg lettuce or cos lettuce.
Post a Comment