The Drunken Chicken: A Classic Korean Dish with a Name to Match
When you think of Korean cuisine, you might not immediately associate it with drinking, let alone a dish with "drunken" in the title. But, alas, the Drunken Chicken is a beloved and addictive dish that has won the hearts of many around the world. In this article, we’ll delve into the history, ingredients, and preparation of this unorthodox yet delicious creation.
History of Drunken Chicken
The exact origins of the Drunken Chicken are unclear, but it’s believed to date back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in Korea. The dish is often attributed to a chef at a royal court, who was tasked with creating a unique dish for a dignitary who had arrived quite literally drunk. To cope with the guest’s altered state, the chef hastily combined a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and other spices with some chicken, and miraculously, the result was a flavor explosion that satisfied even the most discerning palate.
What Is Drunken Chicken?
Drunken Chicken is essentially a marinade-fried chicken dish, similar to Korean-style fried chicken (K-fried). However, the addition of rice wine (known as makgeolli), along with the unique spice blend, sets it apart. The chicken is typically seasoned with a mixture of spices, including gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and sesame oil, then marinated in the aforementioned rice wine and served deep-fried to perfection.
Ingredients and Preparations
To create an authentic Drunken Chicken experience, you’ll need:
- 2-3 lbs chicken pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks, or all-purpose)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups rice wine (makteolli)
- 1 cup water
- In a bowl, whisk together sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, gochugaru, and salt.
- Add chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- In a separate bowl, mix rice wine and water.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a deep frying pan, heat about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil. When hot, add chicken and fry until golden brown.
- Remove chicken and set aside. In the same oil, pour rice wine mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes).
- Serve hot with the reduced sauce from step 6. For a more authentic experience, eat with your hands or using chopsticks, and indulge in the savory, crispy chicken with a hint of liquor.
Conclusion
While the name "Drunken Chicken" may be off-putting for some, the experience is truly unique and surprisingly delicious. The combination of crunchy fried chicken, fermented rice wine, and expertly balanced spices is addictively good. So next time you’re exploring international flavors, don’t be intimidated by the name – be prepared to indulge in an unforgettable culinary adventure!
Drunken Chicken
Holy smokes, looks great!
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
– 5 tbsp sake
– 2 tbsp sugar
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
– 2 tbsp mirin
– 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar
– 7 cloves garlic (finely minced)
– 2 tbsp ginger paste
– 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
– 1/8 tsp five spice powder
Other ingredients:
– 4 bone-in chicken thighs
– chicken stock
– 2 quarts mushrooms (sliced). I use a combination of portabello and shiitake.
– sesame oil
Directions:
1. Mix marinade ingredients well and allow chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Saute mushrooms in sesame oil until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Place chicken thighs skin side down in an oven-safe pan (I use a cast iron) on stove top. Let the chicken and pan warm up to medium heat together. Set marinade aside.
5. When skin has browned (3-4 minutes), flip chicken and allow the underside to brown (1-2 minutes).
6. Add marinade to pan. Add chicken stock to pan until liquid covers 2/3 of the chicken, with only the skin sticking out on top.
7. Add mushrooms to liquid. Be careful not to cover chicken with them.
8. Carefully move the pan to the oven. Let it braise in the oven for 30-35 minutes, checking occasionally and spoon liquid over chicken.
9. Turn on the broiler to crisp up the skin again. Watch carefully, as it can burn. Should only take 1-2 minutes or even less.
10. Take pan out of oven and back to the stove top. Turn up heat and reduce liquid until sauce is thick.
what makes it drunken?
nice
That looks yummy
This looks very tasty
Gonna bookmark this one, because it looks tasty.