Dak Dori Tang: A Fiery Korean Chicken Stew

Ingredients

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• ½ teaspoon chile powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, or as needed
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 cups water, or as needed

Step 1

Mix together the soy sauce, gochujang, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and chile powder in a bowl to make the marinade. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the chicken pieces. Cook them until they’re nicely browned all over, which should take about 10 minutes. Once the chicken is browned, toss it in the marinade so it’s well coated.

Step 2

In the same pot, add a bit more oil if needed and throw in the carrots, potatoes, leek, and onion. Cook everything, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Then, add the habanero pepper and cook for another minute until you can really smell its kick.

Step 3

Pour some water into the pot, add the marinated chicken back in, and bring everything to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, lower the heat and let it simmer. If things start to dry out, feel free to add a splash more water. Keep it going until the veggies are tender and the flavors have melded together, about 10 minutes or so.