Gochujang Chicken Thighs

Gochujang Chicken Thighs — concise recipe summary

Ingredients

• Chicken
  • Skin-on chicken thighs — start with 2 thighs per person; lightly salted.
• Seasoning & aromatics
  • Gochujang (used as the single seasoning; painted on before oven)
  • Shallots, diced (for pan sauce)
  • Fresh ginger, grated
  • Garlic, minced
• Deglaze & stock
  • Soju for deglazing (substitute: sake or white wine)
  • Chicken stock or kombu dashi (to build the sauce)
• Fat & finishing
  • Butter (stirred in off heat to finish sauce)
• Quick pickles (cucumbers)
  • Cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • Rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt (quantities to taste)
  • Korean chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced spring onions (to finish)
• Sides
  • New potatoes (boiled, then roasted/crushed)
  • Gochujang mayo for potatoes/plate:
    • Japanese mayo (QP), gochujang, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey
• Garnish
  • Toasted sesame seeds, fresh coriander (cilantro)

Target internal temperature for chicken: 75 °C

Equipment & prep notes

• Cold frying pan (no added oil)
• Oven (for finishing chicken and roasting potatoes)
• Strainer (to remove and save rendered fat)
• Grater (for ginger) and knife for dicing/slicing
• Baking tray(s) and a second tray (to crush potatoes)
• Thermometer to check chicken internal temperature
• Fridge space to store strained rendered fat

Step-by-step method

1. Prep chicken

   • Lightly salt skin-on thighs (2 per person).
   • Right before cooking, pat dry and dab off excess moisture.

2. Render skin fat and sear (no oil)

   • Place thighs skin-side down in a cold pan (do not add oil).
   • Start on very low heat (~2/10) to slowly render the skin fat.
   • When the skin browns and releases, flip the thighs.

3. Oven finish

   • After flipping, paint the skin with a good amount of gochujang.
   • Transfer to the oven and cook ~5–10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 75 °C.

4. Save rendered fat

   • After cooking, strain off roughly 80% of the fat from the pan and refrigerate for future use.

5. Pan sauce (using the remaining fond)

   • On low heat, add diced shallots to the pan and cook until translucent.
   • Grate in fresh ginger and cook ~1 minute, then add garlic until fragrant.
   • Add gochujang over low heat (keep heat low to avoid burning sugar).
   • Deglaze with soju (or sake/white wine). Cook down until jammy — the spatula should leave a trace.
   • Add chicken stock or kombu dashi and reduce by about half to concentrate flavor.
   • Add reserved pickled cucumber juice (see quick pickles) and reduce by half to intensify tang.
   • Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted for a glossy finish.

6. Quick pickled cucumbers (side / sauce component)

   • Thinly slice cucumbers; toss with generous rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt.
   • Let sit ~15 minutes — cucumbers will release pickling liquid.
   • Finish with Korean chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and thin spring onions.
   • Reserve the pickling liquid to add to the pan sauce (then reduce).

7. Crispy crushed new potatoes (soak-up side)

   • Boil new potatoes until cooked through.
   • For maximum crispness, crush them on a tray (press with a second tray).
   • Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 200 °C for ~30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

8. Gochujang mayo

   • Mix Japanese mayo (QP), gochujang, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey to taste.
   • Use as a condiment to tie the plate together.

Plating / serving

• Spoon pan sauce onto the plate and place gochujang chicken thighs on top.
• Add pickled cucumbers and crispy crushed potatoes alongside.
• Finish with a dollop of gochujang mayo, sprinkle sesame seeds, and garnish with fresh coriander.
• Result: a balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic elements.

Chef tips / common mistakes to avoid

• Do not add oil to the pan; start thighs in a cold pan skin-side down to render fat slowly.
• Pat chicken dry before cooking — excess moisture prevents a good sear.
• Keep heat low when cooking gochujang in the pan; its sugar can burn if too hot.
• Strain and refrigerate rendered fat — useful for future cooking.
• Use a thermometer to ensure chicken reaches 75 °C internal temperature.

Variations / substitutions

• Deglazer: soju → sake → white wine
• Stock: chicken stock → kombu dashi (kombuashi)
• Vinegar/sugar/salt and mayo component quantities: adjust to taste if not specified

Presenter / sources

• Presenter/channel not specified in the provided subtitles; no external sources referenced.