Dakdoritang: Spicy Korean Chicken Stew

Ingredients
1 medium chicken, approx. 1.6kg
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic
5cm fresh ginger root
1 ½ tbsp Korean red pepper chilli flakes
60ml soy sauce
30ml rice wine or sherry
2 tbsp gochujang
1 tbsp honey
500ml water
1 kg baby potatoes
3-4 carrots
2-3 parsnips
A good grind of black pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
6 spring onions

Method
If you are using a whole chicken, begin by cutting it into portions. Start by pulling a leg away from the body to see where the thigh attaches to the body. Use a sharp knife to cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast. Pull on the leg a little more and wiggle it to see where the thigh connects with the joint on the back of the chicken. Use a sharp knife to cut through that joint.
Place the leg and thigh portion skin-side down. Bend the leg to feel for the ball joint where the drumstick and thigh are connected. Use your knife to cut through the joint and separate the thigh and drumstick. Repeat with the other leg. Remove the skin and any excess fat from the thighs.
Once you have removed both legs, place the chicken on a board, breast side down. Use a meat shears or a sharp knife to cut along one side of the backbone. Next, cut along the other side and remove the backbone. Turn the chicken over and press down on the top with your hands to flatten the crown of the chicken. Use a sharp knife to cut along the centre to separate the breasts. Trim away any protruding bones, especially small rib bones, and any excess fat. Cut each breast crossways into three pieces, removing the skin from each but leaving it on the wings.
Peel and roughly chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Peel and first thinly slice the ginger, before then cutting it into thin strips. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over a high heat in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. When the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken portions. Cook for four to five minutes, turning to sear the meat all over. You may need to do this in two batches depending upon the size of your casserole dish. Remove the chicken from the casserole dish and set it aside.
Add the chopped onion to the casserole dish. Sautee the onion for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for one more minute, stirring all the time to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, gochujang, and the honey. Stir to combine and add the chicken back to the pot. Stir to thoroughly coat the chicken. Add 500ml of cold water, turn up the heat and bring a soft boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for fifteen minutes.
While the chicken is simmering away, wash and peel the carrots and parsnips. Cut away the tops and chop the vegetables into 3cm chunks. Wash the baby potatoes and cut them into chunks roughly the same size as the carrots and parsnips. When the chicken has been simmering for fifteen minutes, remove the lid and add the carrots, parsnips, and baby potatoes. Stir the pot and bring it back to the boil. Reduce the heat, pop back on the lid and simmer for another fifteen minutes until the vegetable and potatoes are cooked through and the chicken is tender.
Wash and roughly chop the spring onions. Add two thirds of the onions to the pot, along with a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds. Stir those through and you are ready to dish up.
Serve in warm bowls, with the last of the chopped spring onion scattered over the top and a little thinly sliced red chilli for a splash of colour.
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