Korean spicy chicken hot-pot

Korean spicy chicken hot-pot is my boyfriend M’s favourite Korean food. He quite enjoys spicy food compared to the other Kiwis. That’s why he loved it when my mom cooked this dish when we went to Korea last year. For me, this dish reminds me of memories with my mom. I haven’t tried this food in any other restaurant, even in Korea. Because my mom’s cooking is better than anyone else’s for me. After I left Korea, I cooked this dish sometimes, but it never came out the same. I even tried to follow my mom’s recipe. However, I hand-pick a chicken from the supermarket, especially on these drizzly rainy days.

The chicken in New Zealand is bigger than in Korea, so one is enough to make two meals for two people. The chicken needs to be removed oily parts and skin. Personally, I like skin parts, so I don’t cut that out too much. And then, cut the chicken apart into a good size to eat. -Mostly in joints for legs and wings, and four to six parts for the body.- And put some salt and pepper. Some people dip the chicken into the milk to remove the meaty smell, but it is a bothersome process, so I normally blanch it in boiling water and wash it with running cold water.

If the chicken is ready, it is time to prepare the veggies. Garlic is an important ingredient for making broth and removing the smell. Like most Korean dishes, a lot of garlic is better than less. Chop garlic and cut onions into cubes, cut potatoes into big shapes around four to six parts, and slice chillies and spring onions. And then everything is ready.

Water should be enough to submerge more than half of the chicken. It is good to boil water for making broth with some dried shiitake mushrooms, kelp and chicken stock, but if you don’t have them, skip them. When the water is boiling, put the chicken and some sauces in. There is a way you can mix the sauces first and put them into the broth, but I just put them straight into the pot and add more after tasting it. It’s because I don’t want to make more dishes to wash, and because of bad measuring. Three spoons of chilli paste(Gochujang), six spoons of soy sauce, three spoons of chopped garlic, four spoons of sugar or syrup, three spoons of chilli powder, one spoon of cooking wine, and one spoon of fish sauce; roughly put them into the pot and boil it on medium heat. After the chicken is done enough, put the potatoes first because they take longer to cook. When you pick the potatoes with a stick, if it goes smoothly, then it is ready. Then put all the veggies. I prefer not to cook for too long because of the texture. And finally, you can taste the broth and add more sauces if necessary.

In Korean dining, we prepare not only hot-pot or stew but also side dishes. However, as a person who lives far from Korea, I only served with Kimchi. Fortunately, M, who enjoys putting the rice into the broth and emptying it all, doesn’t mind. During the weekend, if I made this dish, I used to pair it with chardonnay. I miss soju sometimes, but now, due to getting to know the taste of wine, I can’t bear the alcohol smell from it. So mainly wine, but sometimes I have chungju or soju mixed with lemonade.

In New Zealand, winter is coming. The weather here starts to get cold and rainy. I’d love to have M’s cooking, such as cream chowder or curry. But lately, I think about Korean spicy chicken hot-pot. I want to feel the heat with spiciness, making my body warm from the inside. Well, I hope that next time I cook this dish closer to my mom’s recipe, I will remember.