Buldak is the sweet and spicy Korean version of Italian chicken mozzarella. It’s terrific on game day. Serve with shots of soju (Korean rice wine), Korean beer, very cold Sprite, or Korean tea over ice.
EQUIPMENT: cast iron skillet, Thermapen One, chefs butane torch
불닭 Buldak
Cuisine: KoreanDifficulty: AverageServings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
20
minutesKorean Fire Chicken with Cheese.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes
3 tablespoons minced garlic, from a jar
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 cups Crispy Rice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 green onion, chopped
chili flakes
Directions
- Mix well in a bowl gochujang, tamari sauce, oils, honey, and Liquid Smoke.
- Add the chicken. It’s best to use your hands to get the sauce well rubbed into the chicken. Set aside.
- Prepare Crispy Rice. Omit the cilantro and lime juice if desired.
- Heat oils in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until they shimmer. Add ginger and garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
- Transfer marinated chicken to skillet. Use a spatula to get all of the sauce into the skillet. Stir fry until a Thermapen inserted into the chicken chunks reads 165°F.
- Add the crispy rice to the top of the chicken.
- Grind black peppercorns over.
- Arrange cheese over the top.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onion and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Use a chef’s butane torch to completely melt cheese until it is bubbly.
- Serve immediately with shots of soju (Korean rice wine), Korean beer, very cold Sprite, or Korean tea over ice.
