Dakkochi — traditional South Korea dish

Dakkochi

South Korea cubed skewer Serves 435 min
Photo: KFoodaddict · BY 2.0 · source

Korea's flagship street-food skewer: chicken chunks (often with scallion or rice cake) grilled on carts and brushed heavily with a choice of glazes, from sweet soy to fiery gochujang. Vendors re-grill after each saucing so the coating chars into a sticky lacquer.

Also known as: dakkochi, dak kochi, dak-kkochi, Korean chicken skewers, Korean street chicken skewers, dakggochi

Ingredients

Serves 4 · 35 min
  • 600 g chicken thigh, in 3 cm chunks
  • 8 spring onion whites, in 4 cm batons (or 150 g rice cakes, soaked)
  • 3 tbsp gochujang
  • 2 tbsp honey or rice syrup
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin or cheongju
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil, for brushing

How to make it

  1. 1

    Alternate chicken and spring-onion batons on sturdy skewers and brush with the neutral oil.

  2. 2

    Grill or griddle over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, turning, until the chicken is cooked through but only lightly coloured.

  3. 3

    Bubble the gochujang, honey, soy, mirin, garlic and sesame oil in a small pan 2 minutes, until the glaze ribbons off the spoon.

  4. 4

    Paint the skewers and return them to the heat in 30-second passes, glazing two or three times, until sticky, lacquered and scorched at the tips.

Pro tip: Cook first, glaze last: gochujang and honey blacken in under a minute over direct heat — that is why Seoul carts keep a gentle 'finishing' zone.

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