There are few things in life that elicit memories as much as taste.
When my husband and I met, he was stationed in South Korea, living the single life, his first duty station after Tech School. Life was good. As soon as he washed up from being on the flight-line all day, he’d head into town where he’d feast on Chicken on a Stick, Chicken Bulgogi, Beef Bulgogi, Kimchee and countless other things that he can no longer pronounce. The flavors were incomparable to anything he’d ever had stateside.
Fast forward a few 6 years and he’s in Afghanistan, sharing a base with the Koreans. The phone calls I’d get from him were short. I’d always ask, “What are you doing tonight?” The same answer. Every week. ”One of the troops and I are going to go hit up the Koreans for some bulgogi.” I’d laugh and make sure he’d take the bag of cookies I sent for this weekly exchange of tastes.
I know by the time he finally left Afghanistan, there were some very happy Koreans, filled up on “American Cookies!”, but my husband sorely missed his weekly bulgogi.
I finally nailed down a recipe that he says is “even better than authentic,” but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to challenge his opinion. He always takes a moment to relax and reminisce on the days of old when I make it though.
I’m including notes on how to make this (not) gluten-free as well. Try it out on your husbands who have had the privilege of serving in Korea and let me know what they think! It seems fussy, but I promise it’s a breeze to throw together; it just takes a tad of pre-planning.
Chicken Bulgogi
An Original Recipe
Notes: To make this glutenful, simply swap the Liquid Aminos for a dark soy sauce (Tamari). If you can’t find Tamari, feel free to use regular old soy sauce. I actually want to encourage you to try Liquid Aminos anyway. The flavor cannot be beat. The punch of flavor you get from soy sauce is all there with the bonus of 16 additional amino acids and the absence of preservatives and added salt.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/2″
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 scallions, minced
1/2 cup Liquid Aminos
2 Tablespoons sugar
1- 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper flakes
Hot cooked rice, to serve
Flatten the chicken breasts by placing them, one at at time, into a plastic bag and beating it with a heavy object. I use a meat tenderizer, but a heavy skillet, rolling pin, etc. will work too. Flatten the chicken to 1/2″ thickness. Remove to a glass pie plate, casserole pan… whatever you have that is non-reactive (not metal), rub the chicken with the lemon juice.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet set over low-medium heat until golden brown and fragrant.
In a small bowl, combine the liquid aminos, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, pepper, red pepper flakes and one tablespoon of the toasted sesame seeds. The amount of red pepper flakes you use is up to you, we like things a little spicy so I add a healthy sized pinch. Pour this mixture over the chicken, making sure to turn the pieces so they get a good dose of the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, up to 24 hours.
After marinating, warm about a tablespoon of light oil in a stovetop grill or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook chicken about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Keep a close eye on the chicken while it’s cooking, between the soy sauce and the sesame oil, you’ve got a combination that loves to go from perfectly cooked to charred beyond recognition in no time.
Serve with hot white (or brown!) rice, garnish with remaining toasted sesame seeds.
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