dak jjim {braised soy garlicky chicken stew}
hi friends!
new york city’s weather and trees have been very unkind to my immune system. i don’t know about you, but all the pollen in the air has unleashed the most unsightly morning version of me. imagine a crusty puffy eyed, sneezing, runny nosed person struggling to roll out of bed after a long night of soaking her kleenex tissues with a never ending stream of snot.
it’s really ugly. i really thank the lord for wal-itin (walgreen’s version of claritin). adding onto the hot mess that allergies makes of me, i also ended up catching a random cold from the swift changes in temperature so…i’m just really feeling broken in so many places.
living away from my mom’s care and having to take fend for myself during these times has resorted to me craving the soothing and comforting foods of home. this galbi jjim is silky, smooth, hearty, and a big ol’ hug from kathy. it’s actually a short rib rendition of this dak jjim, except it’s a bit more simplified and straight forward because i’m sick and i just need the flavors to get straight to the point. also please please please do not skip out on the mushrooms because they add this beautiful earthiness to the sauce. it’s actually my favorite element of the sauce.
i’m feeling a bit better now, but am also convinced that it may be a good idea to escape new york while the trees slow their roll on their mating season. which is great because may will be filled with my favorite Fs: family, friends, and food. i’ll be in los angeles for sia’s dohl, toronto with my friend nat, chicago for work, and ann arbor to visit kristina for memorial day weekend. if you have any recommendations for what to eat and do, please send them my way!
xo, christine
dak jjim
ingredients
main ingredients
5-6 large chicken drumsticks
10 cloves garlic roughly minced
1 medium yellow onion cut into quarters
4 medium carrots peeled and cut into thumb sizes
5-6 small waxy potatoes diced
2 thumbs ginger peeled and sliced into large disks
3 large button mushrooms sliced
optional: 2 green korean chili peppers (not spicy) diced
seasoning and cooking the chicken
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3.5 cups water
braise sauce
7 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon 3 crabs fish sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 tablespoon gochugaru (crushed korean red pepper flakes)
to garnish
2 stalks of green onions thinly sliced diagonally
toasted sesame seeds
notes
season your chicken drumsticks with 2 tbs kosher salt and 1 tbs of black pepper for at least 20 minutes before cooking
prep garlic, yellow onions, carrots, potatoes, ginger, mushrooms, and green pepper. set aside
bring medium sized dutch oven or pot to a medium high heat with olive oil, toss in chicken and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until skin has turned light golden brown on each side. toss in garlic and sauté together for another minute.
-tip: if your pot is not large enough to sear all the drumsticks at once, you can toss in however many fit at once, cook, set aside on a plate, and then cook the remaining pieces
toss in onions, carrots, potatoes, and ginger into pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until all the vegetables are coated in oil and you can begin to see them sweat
pour in 3.5 cups of water into pot + braise sauce. add the chicken back in, give a good stir, cover, and bring heat down to a medium simmer. simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked through
toss in green korean chili peppers and mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes. at this point, the meat should be falling off the bones and the broth should be a bit thicker (and taste like an umami soy garlic with a bit of sweetness)
before serving, remember to pick out ginger slices
serve over a bed of rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. enjoy!
