Korea Life and Cultures

I’m about to have a heart attack watching this Lakers game. I know true sports fanatics will say THIS is the way to play and that the excitement is what makes it real sports, but honestly I wish it could be a simple repeat of Game 6!

Anyhow, I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that there are various ways to make the same dish. There’s no right way and no wrong way. Whatever tastes best to you, is the RIGHT way!

While in Korea, I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite eemos. I dub her the eemo “who makes the *best* dakdoritang!” I didn’t have the opportunity to actually WATCH her make it, but I did question her extensively on her method and made her tell me how she makes her dakdoritang taste so darn good. I actually remembered her dakdoritang from the last time I ate it over eight years ago and when she asked me, “What do you want to eat?” I replied without hesitation, “Your dakdoritang!!!”

Here’s what she told me…and no, she didn’t give me any *real* measurements. =)

Note: my eemo also uses beef dashida, but I omitted that part!

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 Cornish Game Hen
• potatoes - (2 large ones, or a cup of baby potatoes)
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 carrot
• 2 small red peppers
• handful of garlic cloves
• sauce mixture: 1 TB minced garlic, 3 TB soy sauce, 8 TB water, 2 TB red pepper powder, 2 TB red pepper paste, 1 TB sesame oil, 2 TB rice wine, 1.5 TB honey (real honey!), 1/2 TB onion powder (optional)
• 2 TB ketchup

My eemo actually uses a whole chicken, but we’re a small family of three, so I know there’s no way we could eat all that chicken! =P Plus, I live with a man that doesn’t like chicken.

First make sure your chicken is defrosted! I leave mine in the fridge overnight and that usually does the trick. If you have a really good pair of kitchen shears, you can cut this NOW or you can cut it after you boil it to make it easier. I like cutting it up before boiling because I feel that this makes the chicken cook more evenly.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, prep your veggies. I chose to use 1/2 onion, 1/2 carrot, a handful of garlic cloves, 2 small red peppers and some baby potatoes I found lurking in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Did I mention I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while? =P



Once the water is boiling, dump your chicken in there and let it boil for a good 10-15 minutes.

While the chicken is boiling, make your sauce mixture: 1 TB minced garlic, 3 TB soy sauce, 8 TB water, 2 TB red pepper powder, 2 TB red pepper paste, 1 TB sesame oil, 2 TB rice wine, 1.5 TB honey (real honey!), 1/2 TB onion powder (optional)

After about 15 minutes wash your chicken under cool water. Make sure to clean off all the gunk.

Transfer it to a clean bowl…

…and dump in the sauce mixture. Use a large spoon (or a gloved hand like me) and just make sure to thoroughly coat the chicken.

Then dump the chicken into a pot and turn up the heat! I suppose you can mix the chicken in the pot and save yourself a clean bowl. =P I was too busy trying to get this finished in time to watch the Lakers game that I wasn’t really thinking.

Anyhow, after the chicken starts boiling, turn DOWN the heat and throw in the carrots and potatoes. You want the heat to be fairly LOW. Just simmering. And remember to mix, mix, mix!

After about 10 minutes, add the rest of the veggies and let it simmer for about another 5-10 minutes.

Make sure you come back and stir it around and up and down and mix everything up nice like so!

And when you’re almost done cooking (after about 20 minutes of simmering) – add 2 TB of KETCHUP! Yup. My eemo’s secret ingredient. =P

Make sure to thoroughly mix it around yet again…

And you’re ready to serve! Enjoy!!! (Yes, I realize this is NOT the prettiest picture!) Oh wells. =/