Chicken Kkanpunggi with Crispy Rice & Blistered Green Beans
I don’t even know where to begin……other than the crunch in this dish is insane! It starts with crispy, crispy, crispy rice that is seasoned with tamari, rice vinegar and sesame oil. And it only gets better with the blistered garlicky green beans, and sticky, saucy, Chicken Kkanpunggi on top. If you have not had Chicken Kkanpunggi, it is a dish that is composed of crunchy fried chicken bites that are coated with a spicy and garlicky sauce that is oh so addicting. While there are a lot of steps and wok wiping to this, its really a meal you will want to reach for over and over again so, give it a go will ya? And for the vegetarians out there, you can easily replace the chicken with cauliflower or tofu and its sure to impress even the most resistant carnivore -promise ;)
Serves 3-4
Chicken
1.5 - 2 lbs chicken thighs (cut into bite sized pieces and patted dry)
1/2 cup corn starch or potato starch
1 egg
big pinch of salt
High temperature cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
Sauce for Chicken
1 inch piece of grated ginger
1-2 grated garlic clove
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp oyster sauce (omit if vegetarian)
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp lemon juice
chili oil to taste
Rice
3 tbsp avocado oil
2 cups day old cooked jasmine rice (it needs to be a day old so it can dry out! do not skimp on this!)
3 garlic cloves (loosely chopped)
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Green Beans
2 tbsp avocado oil
12 oz green beans (ends removed)
3 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
salt to taste
Toppings
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Method
Start by bringing a pot of water to a rapid boil and boil green beans for 5-7 minutes. Plunge in a ice water bath to stop the cooking process and set aside to dry on a kitchen towel. Reserve for later.
Using your hands, mix the chicken with cornstarch, egg, pinch of salt and set aside.
Heat a wok or wide dutch oven with avocado oil (about 2 inches of oil) until it is 350F. Carefully add in the battered chicken pieces, careful not to crowd. Fry in batches until golden brown and set aside on a plate with paper towels.
In the same dish, heat 1-2 tbsp of your oil and add in the ginger and garlic until fragrant (do not allow the garlic to burn or brown). Stir in the liquids (honey, tamari, rice vinegar, oyster sauce lemon juice , chili oil and sesame oil and stir until it starts to thicken. Set aside at room temperature and it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Wipe out the wok and pour in 3 tbsp of oil and allow to heat until it is shiny. Add the 3 chopped garlic cloves for 1 minute then toss with the dried rice. Press the rice and garlic mix in an even layer and do not touch it for at least 5-7 minutes. This will allow the rice top get crispy and golden. Using a cooking utensil, see if you can lift the rise a bit to check if it is getting golden sn crispy on one side then toss again to get the other side for 3-5 minutes. Then add in the tamari, rice vinegar and sesame oil and cover for 1-2 minutes. Set the rice on plates while you prepare the green beans, you’re almost there!
Wupe out the wok again and pour in 2 tbsp avocado oil and heat until shiny over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and in a single layer, then the green beans for 3-5 minutes (do not touch! this will allow them to char and blister). Flip the green beans and repeat until they are blistered but not burned. Toss with sea salt and set asside.
Last but not least, toss the chicken and the sauce until coated and the sauce is warm. Plate starting with the crispy rice, then green beans, then chicken and top with green onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime and enjoy - though it would be hard not to!
