Chicken Thighs in Gochujang Glaze with Rice and Cucumber Salad

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice in cold water until the water is almost clear. Put it in a saucepan, add 420 ml water and 2 g salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.

   
2. 2

   Prepare the cucumber salad

   Cut the cucumber into thin half-moons. Finely chop the spring onion. Toss the cucumber with 20 ml rice vinegar, the sesame oil and 1 g salt. Stir in half of the spring onion and set aside.

   
3. 3

   Mix the glaze and prepare the chicken

   Stir the gochujang, soy sauce, honey, remaining 10 ml rice vinegar and 30 ml water together in a small bowl. Finely grate the garlic and ginger and stir them in. Pat the chicken thighs dry and cut them into pieces about 3 cm wide; sprinkle with the remaining 1 g salt.

   
4. 4

   Sear the chicken pieces

   Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in a single layer, working in two batches if needed to fit the pan, for about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the other. The pieces should be golden; they still need to finish cooking through.

   
5. 5

   Finish the chicken in the glaze

   Reduce the heat to medium, pour in the glaze and stir to coat all the pieces. Cook, turning the pieces occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens into a glossy coating and the thickest piece of chicken reaches at least 74°C (165°F) in the center. If the glaze thickens too quickly, add 15 ml water.

   
6. 6

   Plate the dinner

   Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among four bowls. Add the chicken with its glaze and the cucumber salad. Sprinkle with the remaining spring onion and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.