Dakgalbi

Dakgalbi is a Korean dish of boneless chicken pieces marinated in a gochujang-based sauce and cooked on a hot iron griddle at the table with vegetables and rice cakes. It is especially associated with Chuncheon, in Gangwon Province, where it became a popular regional dish.

What it really is

The core of the dish is boneless chicken thigh cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated with gochujang (fermented red chilli paste), gochugaru (red chilli flakes), garlic, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. The marinated chicken is stir-fried with cabbage, sweet potato, onion, spring onion and tteok (cylindrical rice cakes) on a wide pan, usually a griddle over a gas or charcoal burner at the table. Many versions finish with cheese, rice or noodles added to the pan once the chicken is cooked.

Dakgalbi is often confused with galbi-jjim or Korean barbecue. Unlike braised galbi-jjim, which uses bone-in beef or pork ribs in a soy-based stew, dakgalbi is a fast stir-fry of boneless chicken in a red chilli sauce. Unlike Korean barbecue, the meat is cooked in the sauce on a pan rather than grilled plain and dipped.

How it's served

• Served hot on a shared griddle or pan at the table, with diners cutting and eating from the pan.
• Eaten with steamed rice, lettuce leaves and perilla leaves for wrapping, and extra side dishes (banchan).
• Often ordered as a second course after the chicken, with rice or fried rice or cheese added to the remaining sauce in the pan.
• Commonly eaten with soju or beer.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredients: boneless chicken marinated in gochujang and chilli flakes, stir-fried with cabbage, sweet potato and rice cakes.
• Flag allergens: the marinade contains soy sauce (soy and wheat) and sesame oil (sesame); gochujang may contain wheat.
• State the spice level, since the dish is normally quite hot.
• Specify whether it is served mild or with added cheese or rice at the end, as these are common variants.