Seared Thigh Andong Jjimdak with Homemade Caramel
Crisp-skinned bone-in thighs braised in a shiitake–kelp stock darkened with homemade caramel, for the deep colour and flavour of a restaurant jjimdak.
Method
Soak the noodles in lukewarm water for . Pat the thighs very dry with kitchen paper and trim off any thick yellow fat. Cut the potatoes into 3–4 cm chunks, the carrot into 1 cm half-moons, the onion into 2 cm wedges and the leek into 5 cm lengths; slice the green chilli diagonally.
Put the water, kelp and dried shiitake in a 18 cm pot and warm on medium heat for . When small bubbles appear around the edge, lift out the kelp; take out the softened shiitake, slice them thinly and return them. Letting the kelp boil makes the stock bitter and slimy.
Add in this stepWater (for the stock) 700 mlDried kelp (kombu) 5 gDried shiitake mushrooms 3
medium heatSeason the thighs with salt. Heat the oil in a 26 cm pan and lay the chicken skin side down; sear on medium-high heat for , until the skin is deep golden and much of the fat has rendered. Flip for 30 seconds, then move to a plate. A crowded pan steams instead of browning, so work in batches if needed.
Add in this stepBone-in chicken thighs, skin on, cut in 2–3 pieces 600 gSalt 1 pinchVegetable oil 1 tbsp
medium-high heatPour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water and cook on medium-low heat for without stirring, just swirling the pan, until it turns the colour of dark honey. Melted sugar is extremely hot: keep your hands clear. If it turns black and smokes, it will be bitter, so start again.
Add in this stepWhite sugar (for the caramel) 2½ tbsp
medium-low heatTurn off the heat and slowly pour in the stock with its mushrooms, standing back as it will spit, to dissolve the caramel. Add the soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic, ginger and dried chillies, return the chicken, bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium-low heat, set the lid ajar and braise for .
Add in this stepSoy sauce 5 tbspKorean cooking wine (or mirin) 2 tbspGarlic, minced 1½ tbspGinger, minced ½ tspDried red chillies 2
high heat→medium-low heatAdd the potatoes and carrots and braise on medium heat for more, until a chopstick slides into a potato and the meat starts to pull away from the bone.
Add in this stepPotato 200 gCarrot 80 g
medium heatAdd the onion, drained noodles and green chilli, turn up to medium-high heat and cook for , spooning the sauce over. It's done when the noodles are clear and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Add in this stepOnion 120 gWide or regular Korean glass noodles 60 gHot green chilli 1
medium-high heatTurn off the heat, stir in the leek, sesame oil and pepper, plate skin side up and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut near the bone of a thigh to check there is no pink.
Add in this stepKorean leek or thick spring onion 40 gToasted sesame oil 1 tspToasted sesame seeds 1 tspBlack pepper 1 pinch
Cook's tip
The darker the caramel, the deeper and more bittersweet the sauce, but once it smokes it's too late; the first time, add the stock as soon as it turns amber. Wide glass noodles are chewier and hold the sauce better. Jjimdak tastes even better the next day: reheat and add fresh noodles.
Cooking it at camp
At a campsite, bring the stock from home in a bottle and skip the caramel: use 1.5 times the sugar as brown sugar plus a dash of dark soy sauce for colour. Sear the thighs on a heavy pan or griddle for the crispest skin, and set up a windbreak to keep the flame steady.