By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL for Associated Press
Flavor-packed, spicy-sweet gochujang elevates a couldn’t-be-simpler, 30-minute chicken stir-fry. Gochujang is a fermented chili paste used widely in Korean cooking. Made the traditional way, it ferments in clay pots for months or years to create a concentrated paste with tremendous depth and complex chili heat.
In this recipe from our cookbook “
Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year
,” the complexly flavored Korean refrigerator staple is balanced by the pepperiness and pungency of ginger and garlic, plus a splash of salty soy sauce and a spoonful of sugar to round everything out.
Many brands of gochujang are available in the U.S., though quality varies widely. When shopping, start by reading the ingredient list. Traditional gochujang should contain little more than gochugaru (red chili flakes), glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. The product’s label also should specify its heat level.
Cooking the chicken on on each side creates deeply flavorful browning, so resist the urge to flip it more than once or stir it in the pan. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with steamed rice and a chilled beer.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
¼ cup gochujang
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons neutral oil
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at
177milkstreet.com/ap
