Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bigverne]

Hi there!

Arrived back in the UK a few weeks ago, and am really missing some spicy Korean dishes. If someone could give me a good recipe for Jjim Dak, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[fidel]

Get yourself some chicken....add spit, oh and some soy to make it brown.

[bigverne]

Anyway with a mental age over 5 have anything to add. Ingredients? Recipe?

[peppergirl]

Lots of Korean recipes here:

http://www.sweetbabymedia.com/recipes/korean.shtml

http://www.koreanrestaurantguide.com/recipes/recipe_0.htm

[visviva]

I've made it a few times, in Korea and while home in the States. You need an adequately big & wide pan (the surface area is important for it to simmer down properly, so a deep pan won't quite do the trick), and of course some bone-cutting kitchen shears. The most important thing is to get the right noodles (���), and cold-soak them in WATER only. (I once followed a recipe that called for soaking them in brine -- BIG mistake). The rest is pretty straightforward, following any of those Korean recipes. There are usually some jjim-dalk threads on Naver Jisik too, like this one: http://kin.naver.com/browse/db_detail.php?d1id=8&dir_id=80609&docid=176172. For the benefit of non-Korean-reading jjim-dalk-lovers everywhere, here's an English recipe based on that one:

Ingredients:

A chicken (dead, plucked)
Some potatoes (at least 3)
A carrot or two
300 g dang-myeon noodles
some shiitakes (ǥ������)
some cabbage (no more than a quarter-head)
some onions
some green onions
1 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. corn syrup
around 6 spicy gochu (can substitute jalapenos) -- adjust for your spiciness preference
1 T. sugar
1 t. ginger
2 t. crushed garlic
some black pepper, sesame, wheat flour
2.5 L water

1. Soak noodles in cold water (for at least 30 minutes). Soak shiitakes (separately).
2. Cut chicken into chopstickable chunks. That's raw, bacteria-infested meat, so be careful with it.
3. Cut up shiitakes, carrots and potatoes. Don't cut them too small -- this isn't a stew -- just small enough to be chopsticked.
4. Cut up the onions, green onions, and cabbage. Cut the green onions into 5-6 cm lengths.
5. Cut the gochu into 2-3 cm lengths, so that the eater can tell them from the green onions.
6. Put the chickens, shiitakes, carrots, potatoes, gochu, soy sauce, corn syrup, sugar, and spices into your pan. Add the water. Blend, then boil (uncovered) for about 10 minutes, or until about half of the water has evaporated and the potato chunks have cooked through.
7. Reduce the boil to a simmer.
8. Add the onions, green onions, and cabbage.
9. After 5 minutes or so, add the noodles. Add the wheat flour for additional thickening (take a little bit of the hot liquid out of the pan, mix it into a paste with the flour, then re-blend it into the pan).
10. Serve hot-hot-hot.

That's the recipe I've (usually) had success with. I'd be interested in anyone else's experiences.

[tzechuk]

I thought you made it with a whole chicken and then cut it up as you serve?

[bigverne]

Thanks a lot visviva, I'll give it a try.

[No L]

Living in Andong watching the ajumas make jjim dalk on jjim dalk street, I've never seen anyone add mushrooms, onions or cabbage. (It does sound like a delicious alternative version though, can't wait to try it out.) The version I eat has carrots, potatoes and spinach. In the summer, the ajumas tend to add cucumbers too. The chicken is always chopped up before cooking. (Soaks in more flavour.)

[visviva]

Yeah, I don't think I've had it with shrooms or root-onions except when following that recipe. A lot of places do make it with cabbage, at least around Daegu.

I think you can use pretty much any vegetable that won't get too mushy when it cooks. ... Although jjim-dalk-with-broccoli doesn't sound too appetizing, now that I think about it. Any non-standard veggies probably need to be fairly flavor-neutral.

[Hollywoodaction]

One chicken (dead, plucked)? I guess someone asked them for a tip on how to keep a live chicken in a pot filled with vegetables and soy sauce.