Andong-jjimdak (Andong Braised Chicken)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot or braiser, 28 to 30cm
• •Large bowl for soaking noodles
• •Tongs or long chopsticks
• •Wide shallow serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the noodles

   Put the dangmyeon in a bowl of warm water and soak 25 to 30 minutes, until the strands bend easily but still feel firm at the center. Drain them right before they go into the pot. This keeps the noodles from stealing too much sauce too early.

2. 2

   Blanch the chicken

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and boil 3 minutes, just until foam rises and the outside tightens. Drain, rinse off any clinging scum, and clean the pot. This is not to cook the chicken; it gives you a cleaner braise and a sauce that stays glossy instead of muddy.

   Keep the skin on if you can. It gives body to the sauce. If you dislike loose skin, trim only the large hanging flaps of fat.
3. 3

   Mix the sauce

   Stir together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice syrup, mirin, oyster sauce if using, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and sesame oil. Taste it before it touches the chicken. It should be salty and slightly sweet, not candy-like, because the potatoes and noodles will soften it.

4. 4

   Start the braise

   Heat the neutral oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the dried red chilies and scallion whites and stir 30 seconds, just until the oil smells warm and savory. Add the blanched chicken and pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, turning the chicken once.

5. 5

   Add the vegetables

   Add the potatoes, carrot, and onion. Simmer uncovered 15 to 18 minutes more, turning the pieces gently every few minutes so the top pieces meet the sauce. The potatoes should be nearly tender when pierced, but not falling apart. If the pot looks dry before the potatoes soften, add water 2 tablespoons at a time, not by the cup.

6. 6

   Reduce the sauce

   Raise the heat to medium-high and boil 5 to 7 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken. You are looking for a glossy sauce that coats the spoon and leaves a brief dark trail across the bottom of the pot. Do this before the noodles go in. Dangmyeon will thicken the sauce fast, and it cannot repair a watery braise.

7. 7

   Finish with noodles

   Add the drained noodles and scallion greens, lifting and folding with tongs so the noodles sit partly in the sauce instead of clumping on top. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, until the noodles turn translucent and glossy. Taste one noodle and one potato. If the seasoning feels flat, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce; if it feels harsh, add 1 teaspoon rice syrup. Small corrections, not a new sauce.

8. 8

   Serve the platter

   Transfer everything to a wide shallow serving dish, keeping the noodles loose and visible. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and sliced fresh chili if using. Serve with rice, kimchi, and a clear soup if you want the table balanced. This is a rich dish; the side dishes should cut through it, not compete with it.

Chef Tips

• •Use a wide pot, not a tall narrow one. Andong-jjimdak needs evaporation as much as braising, and a wide surface helps the sauce reduce into a glaze instead of staying thin.
• •Bone-in chicken gives the best flavor and keeps the meat from drying out. Boneless thighs work for a weeknight, but cut the first braising time to 10 minutes and watch the salt, because smaller pieces absorb faster.
• •The safe shortcut is buying a chicken already cut through the bone. The unsafe shortcut is adding the noodles early. They will swell, break, and drink the sauce before the chicken and potatoes are ready.
• •Cheongyang chili gives the clean market-style heat. If you are feeding children, use only the dried red chilies for fragrance and leave the fresh chili off the finished platter.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days in the refrigerator, but the noodles will keep absorbing sauce. Reheat gently with 2 to 4 tablespoons water and loosen them with chopsticks.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken can be cut and blanched up to 1 day ahead, then refrigerated covered. Bring it out 20 minutes before cooking so it does not go into the sauce ice-cold.
• •The sauce can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Stir before using because the garlic and ginger settle at the bottom.
• •Cut the vegetables a few hours ahead and keep the potatoes submerged in cold water so they do not brown. Drain them well before adding to the pot.
• •Do not cook the dangmyeon ahead. Soak it while the chicken begins cooking, then add it only at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 575g)