My Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking!

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog and, more importantly, welcome to my kitchen! 🤗

I’ve been thinking, why don’t we go on a culinary journey together? That’s why I decided to craft this new category on my blog. I want us to bring flavors from all around the world into our kitchens, have fun, and try new things.

But first, a little heads up: I am by no means a professional chef. In fact, I’m the kind of person who can turn the kitchen upside down just trying to follow a recipe! My goal here isn’t to be perfect, but to give you a solid recipe, share my own experiences and mistakes (so you don’t make the same ones!), and just have a good time.

So, if you’re ready, let’s travel to Asia today!

A Taste of Korea: Dakgangjeong

In this post, I’ll be talking about a traditional Korean dish called dakgangjeong. This dish is basically a type of fried chicken. Years ago, Korean chefs discovered the crispy fried chicken that had become popular in America. They took it, added their own special spices and sauces, and dakgangjeong was born! From that day on, it has been known around the world as a classic Korean dish.

This dish is one of the best examples of a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. If you’re ready, let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the chicken:

• 250g boneless chicken (cut into cubes)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ egg
• ¼ cup corn or potato starch

For the sauce:

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
• ½ tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• ½ tsp sesame oil

Let’s Cook!

Now for the fun part: the preparation. You might not have all the ingredients on hand—I certainly didn’t, so I had to improvise. After all, a kitchen is a place for flexibility, right? I’ll share my alternatives with you.

• Marinate the chicken: Mix the chicken pieces with the salt, pepper, egg, and starch. I didn’t have potato or cornstarch, so I used rice flour instead. You can also use wheat starch. However, I highly recommend using corn or potato starch if you want that perfect crunch. But if you don’t have it and don’t want to buy it right now, rice flour will do the trick!
• Fry the chicken: Heat up plenty of oil and carefully place the chicken pieces in the pan. Fry them until they turn a beautiful golden color. Make sure the oil is hot enough before you start!
• Make the sauce: In a separate pan, sauté the minced garlic for a bit. Then, add all the sauce ingredients and cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly. I didn’t have any honey, so I used one tablespoon of sugar instead. And for the rice vinegar, I used two teaspoons of lemon juice to get that slight tang.
• Combine and serve: Toss the fried chicken into the sauce and quickly stir until every piece is coated. Serve it hot and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top. Enjoy your meal!

My Cooking Experience

Overall, the chicken I made tasted great. I finished a whole plate all by myself! However, I have to be honest: I’m very sensitive to spicy food, so I didn’t use any gochujang. 😐 This meant I only got to experience the sweet side of the dish. If you’re okay with a little heat, I definitely recommend adding the chili paste, as that sweet and spicy balance is what makes this dish so special. I also think I overcooked my chicken a little, because it wasn’t as juicy as it should have been. So, be careful not to overdo it!

But hey, it’s fried chicken—it’s delicious no matter what! I seriously recommend you give this recipe a try. I’m so curious to see what you’ll encounter in your own kitchen and how your dish will turn out. Please don’t forget to share your experience with me! The goal isn’t to be perfect; it’s to have fun, gain experience, and fill our bellies.

I hope you have a very delicious meal. See you in the next recipe. Stay tuned!

I did some research to find the best products for you. I’ve linked them here to support your recipe, so feel free to check them out if you like. 🌻

Gochujan: https://amzn.to/3IDytDV

Soy Sauce: https://amzn.to/3Iv3FVU

Sesame Oil : https://amzn.to/3Vvs40p

Corn Starch: https://amzn.to/46Ak2Zc

RiceVinegar: https://amzn.to/423XsXI