Spicy Korean Braised Chicken
Los Angeles has a thriving Korean community and there are literally hundreds of Korean restaurants and businesses throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. In L.A., there is Koreatown, a neighborhood located in Central Los Angeles, approximately near English Street and Western Avenue. And further south, you’ll find Korean communities in Buena Park, Fullerton and Cerritos.
Being the foodies that we are, we wanted to see exactly what Korean cuisine was all about. What we discovered was nothing less than amazing. Right under our nose was one of the most interesting and fascinating cuisines we’ve had the privilege to experience.
One day, I came across a docu-series about a woman that was born in Korea, by a Korean mother and an American soldier stationed in Korea. She was later adopted into an American family, but wanted to return to Korea to discover the food and it’s people. Her name is Marja Allen and is married to the famous Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Together, they returned to Korea to discover the cuisine and document their experience it in a series of videos. It’s called “Kimchi Chronicles”. After watching the series, I became even more interested in Korean food. That’s when I saw Marja cook Dakbokkeumtang (pronounced Dock bock keeyoom tang), also know as Spicy Korean Braised Chicken. The most common ingredient in Korean cuisine is red pepper paste call Gochujang. It’s a spicy and mildly sweet deep red pepper paste and is available in different levels of heat and flavor. If you go to a Korean market, you’ll see whole aisles dedicated specifically to gochujang.
This dish is another delicious and comforting meal. It’s one of Korea’s interpretation of good ol’ one pot comfort food. It so easy to prepare and all you need is one large pot and a few ingredients. When I prepared it one day for my family, which was mostly raised in American food, they instantly fell in love and wanted the recipe. We hope you will give this recipe a try and we hope you enjoy!