Korean Spicy Pop Corn Chicken

500g/18 ounces chicken thigh fillets (or breast fillets), rinsed under cold water, cut into bite sized
pieces

150g/5.3 ounces fresh Korean rice cake, cut in half (if you’re not using fresh rice cakes, separate and
soak them in warm water for 10 mins before cutting. Pat dry with some kitchen paper.)

1 Tbsp rice wine

2 tsp ginger powder / minced ginger
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup potato starch or corn starch
Some cooking oil for deep frying (I used rice bran oil)

Sauce (mix these in a bowl)

5 Tbsp tomato sauce/ketchup
1 & 1/2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Instructions:
1.Place chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add the rice wine, ginger powder, salt, and ground
black pepper and mix them well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the chicken for 30
mins in the fridge.
2. Coat each chicken piece with the starch powder thoroughly. (It’s best doing this in 4 to 5 batches
so that they are well covered with the starch powder.

3. Pour some cooking oil into a deep saucepan/wok and heat until it reaches 175 C/ 347 F (or
boiling).

Deep fry the rice cakes in batches until the outer layer turns crispy (under 30 seconds to avoid
possible rice cake explosion).

Take them out and set aside onto kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this with the
remaining rice cakes.

Deep fry the battered chicken pieces in batches until golden and cooked through (2 to 3 mins).
Take them out and set aside onto kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this with the
remaining chicken. (Don’t put too much chicken in one go as it can lower the oil temperature too
much.) To make the chicken extra crunchy, double fry them one more time. Set aside.
4. Pour the sauce into a heated skillet. Bring it to boil on medium heat until the sauce thickens a
little bit (1 to 2 mins). Stir constantly. Add the double fried chicken and coat with the sauce quickly
and thoroughly. Garnish with your choice of toppings (e.g. crushed nuts, seeds and green onion).
Serve.
Kimchi-jjigae

Ingredients
(serves 2 with side dishes, serves 4 without)

1 pound kimchi, cut into bite size pieces

¼ cup kimchi brine
½ pound pork shoulder (or pork belly) / Canned Tuna
½ package of tofu (optional), sliced into ½ inch thick bite size pieces
3 green onions
1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1 tablespoon gochujang (hot pepper paste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups of anchovy stock (or chicken or beef broth)

For stock (makes about 2½ cups’ worth)

7 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed
⅓ cup Korean radish (or daikon radish), sliced thinly
4 x 5 inch dried kelp
3 green onion roots
4 cups water

Instructions: