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찜닭 - jjim dalk recipe One of the most awesome things to enter my mouth in Seoul (get your mind out of the gutter) was 찜닭 - jjim dalk.  Ever since then I have scoured the internet (OK, I Googled) for the perfect recipe to try and duplicate this wonder of foods at home. After much trial and error, merging of several recipes found, and adding my own touches, I think I’ve finally gotten a version of this dish I am happy with. I doubt I will ever be able to get the satisfaction of flavor I experienced in Korea, but this comes pretty close. It should be noted that traditionally, this dish uses a whole chicken cut into pieces. This gives the added flavor of the bone marrow, but also makes it potentially messier to eat. And if you are a couple, you have to avoid eating the wings as this is seen as a sign that your lover will “fly away” and cheat on you! Also, I’m lazy and chicken breasts are just easier. Also, I like to buy my veggies at the Korean grocer. The veggies are bigger and more flavorful than the local chain grocers. And I can get all the ingredients for my sauce there. And 9 times out of 10, they are playing a Big Bang song. I like the odd looks the ajummas give me as I sing and dance down the aisle. 찜닭: 2 lbs skinned chicken breast, cubed (you can make it 3 lbs if you want) 3 potatoes, sliced 3 big ass carrots, sliced 1 bunch of scallions, cut in 1” pieces 1 bag sweet potato vermicelli Sauce: 1 cup soy sauce 3 cups water 8 tbsp sweet soy sauce* 1 tbsp oyster sauce* 1 tsp ground black pepper* 1 tbsp minced garlic* 3/4 tbsp minced ginger* 3 tbsp meerim* 5-8 dried red chilis, cut* *These are merely suggestive guidelines. Adjust to taste, but I found these worked well for flavor balance. The goal is to achieve sweet/spicy/savory balance! boil chicken in large pot for a couple minutes. Mix soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, water, oyster sauce, pepper, meerim, garlic, ginger and red chili in separate bowl. drain water, set chicken aside. place veggies (except scallions) in large pot, cover with chicken. Pour sauce mixture over everything in pot. Cover and cook on high for ~20 minutes. You can cook as long as 40 minutes if needed. Prepare bag of vermicelli according to instructions (usually about 10 minutes) I like to place the vermicelli on a large serving platter, but a large skillet will work too. Pour the veggie/sauce/chicken over noodles, add scallions. Serve with cold beer and enjoy with good friends! Use a good pair of cooking scissors to cut noodle as needed. Try to eat with Korean chopsticks and not make a mess! 

찜닭 - jjim dalk recipe

One of the most awesome things to enter my mouth in Seoul (get your mind out of the gutter) was 찜닭 - jjim dalk.  Ever since then I have scoured the internet (OK, I Googled) for the perfect recipe to try and duplicate this wonder of foods at home. After much trial and error, merging of several recipes found, and adding my own touches, I think I’ve finally gotten a version of this dish I am happy with. I doubt I will ever be able to get the satisfaction of flavor I experienced in Korea, but this comes pretty close.

It should be noted that traditionally, this dish uses a whole chicken cut into pieces. This gives the added flavor of the bone marrow, but also makes it potentially messier to eat. And if you are a couple, you have to avoid eating the wings as this is seen as a sign that your lover will “fly away” and cheat on you! Also, I’m lazy and chicken breasts are just easier.

Also, I like to buy my veggies at the Korean grocer. The veggies are bigger and more flavorful than the local chain grocers. And I can get all the ingredients for my sauce there. And 9 times out of 10, they are playing a Big Bang song. I like the odd looks the ajummas give me as I sing and dance down the aisle.

찜닭:

2 lbs skinned chicken breast, cubed (you can make it 3 lbs if you want)

3 potatoes, sliced

3 big ass carrots, sliced

1 bunch of scallions, cut in 1” pieces

1 bag sweet potato vermicelli

Sauce:

1 cup soy sauce

3 cups water

8 tbsp sweet soy sauce*

1 tbsp oyster sauce*

1 tsp ground black pepper*

1 tbsp minced garlic*

3/4 tbsp minced ginger*

3 tbsp meerim*

5-8 dried red chilis, cut*

*These are merely suggestive guidelines. Adjust to taste, but I found these worked well for flavor balance. The goal is to achieve sweet/spicy/savory balance!

boil chicken in large pot for a couple minutes.

Mix soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, water, oyster sauce, pepper, meerim, garlic, ginger and red chili in separate bowl.

drain water, set chicken aside.

place veggies (except scallions) in large pot, cover with chicken.

Pour sauce mixture over everything in pot.

Cover and cook on high for ~20 minutes. You can cook as long as 40 minutes if needed.

Prepare bag of vermicelli according to instructions (usually about 10 minutes)

I like to place the vermicelli on a large serving platter, but a large skillet will work too. Pour the veggie/sauce/chicken over noodles, add scallions.

Serve with cold beer and enjoy with good friends!

Use a good pair of cooking scissors to cut noodle as needed. Try to eat with Korean chopsticks and not make a mess!