Spicy, sweet and sticky, this bulgogi chicken with a Korean spring onion salad is the dinner weeknight’s dream of. Quick, easy and charged with flavour, this whole meal comes together in half an hour.
Explainer: Adding nashi pear to this marinade tenderises the chicken and also adds sweetness, aiding caramelisation when grilling. Pa muchim is a Korean spring onion salad.
Ingredients
Method
For bulgogi marinade, combine all ingredients except pear in a bowl. Add 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper and stir to combine. Pour half the marinade into a separate bowl and set aside until required. Add pear to remaining marinade and set aside to marinate chicken.
To marinate chicken, place chicken on a board, cover with a piece of baking paper or plastic wrap and beat a few times with a rolling pin to tenderise. Add chicken to pear marinade, turn to coat and stand to marinate (15 minutes).
Heat a barbecue or lightly greased char-grill pan to medium-high. Drain chicken from marinade and drizzle with a little oil. Grill chicken, turning occasionally and basting with marinade, until charred and cooked through (10-12 minutes). Transfer to a board, drizzle with two-thirds of remaining marinade, cover loosely with aluminium foil and set aside to rest.
To make pa muchim, place spring onions in a bowl of iced water to crisp (10 minutes). Drain well and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Stir vinegar through remaining marinade. Transfer spring onions to a bowl, add 1-2 tbsp dressing and gently toss to combine.
Thickly slice chicken. Divide steamed rice, chicken and pa muchim among bowls. Scatter with coriander and extra sesame seeds to serve.
Photo: James Moffatt