black pepper gochujang chicken nuggets w/ kimchi ranch
hi friends, lovers, & people probably related to me —
120 — this was supposed to come out last week, but i had been working a lot & not be dramatic but the literal thought of staring at a screen for a second longer seemed insurmountable. so i read a bit, had some drinks, ate some delicious things, walked & ran1 instead — i also took a 2hr nap which has never happened before in my entire life.
nugs not drugs
something you should know about me is that i’m a big fan of chicken nuggets. there was a couple of weeks this winter where i would plot out my chicken nugget day. no i wasn’t stressed out or depressed why are you asking me that. i just wanted an array of dipping sauces. i also started seeing them on a lot of menus as a starter — like of course, that’s genius. you get a chicken nugget, you get a chicken nugget, i get a chicken nugget. then there was this article that lived rent free in my head for a couple of days until i went to lilac tiger w/ kaitlyn & got the chicken nuggets. they were phenomenal. these chicken nuggets, skew a bit more korean fried chicken flavor profile/vibes wise (which have you been to crisp?, you should go) — crispy but also saucy — with a subtly sweet tangy almost bbq but with heat.
ingredients for the nuggs
boneless skinless chicken thighs ( i used 4 out of a 6 thigh package — wanted to save those for future me)
eggs (2-3)
cornstarch (roughly a cup)
flour (roughly a cup)
cayenne (measure with your heart)
salt (a few cracks in both the eggs & the flour mixture)
black pepper (go crazy here — USE LOTS OF IT)
canola oil (about half a bottle or so)
ingredients for the sauce
gochujang ( i honestly did not measure this and did several heaping spoonful(s) out of my jar)
butter (1 tablespoon)
brown sugar (1 heaping tablespoon)
soy sauce (a bout half a cup or so)
fish sauce (just a dash or two)
sesame oil (just a dash or two)
sambal oelek (couple tablespoons)
garlic (4-6 cloves, grated/minced)
water ( a splash or so to thin it out)
salt & pepper (again just a lil salt + plenty of black pepper)
ingredients for the kimchi ranch & garnishes
kimchi (i used a lil less than half the jar, roughly chopped, you want some of the liquid too)
white wine or rice vinegar (just a splash)
mayo ( 1/2 cup or so — this is honestly to preference i wanted mine to be more kimchi forward)
salt & pepper (to taste)
cilantro ( half a bunch, roughly chopped)
scallions (my scallions were v. wimpy so i only got a few — but in my dreams this would be more scallion forward — cover the whole thing in scallions i dare you)
steps
1st hi! so happy you’re here — first were going to combine somethings. in one pie plate or other shallow dish with edges combine the flour, cornstarch, cayenne, salt & a pepper. in another dish crack a couple of eggs, whisk together with some salt & pepper. set these aside. in a small sauce pan add a tablespoon of butter, the grated garlic, gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sambal oelek and some salt & pepper — stir together and put on medium low heat for the sauce to thicken and meld together. next we are going to make some kimchi ranch — bc the sauce has more of a tangy spicy(iness), we are looking for a more vinegary condiment to compliment. roughly chop your kimchi and mix into the mayo, with some of the liquid, a splash of vinegar and some salt & pepper. taste and adjust as needed — i added more kimchi to mine because i can have nice things. set aside in the fridge to chill (out).
2nd phew that was a little tiring or maybe i’m just a bit overtired. we are going to chop up our chicken thighs into lil nugget sized pieces. dump them all into the egg & let them hangout for a few while you prep for the fun part — the frying! first in your deep/semi deep pot — pour about half a large container of oil. next line a sheet pan with some paper towels. get out a plate or something to put the nuggs on — working in batches take the egg dunked nuggets and make sure they are fully coated in the flour cornstarch mixture. set them onto the other plate. once this is done & you have a nice pile turn on the oil to medium high. while it’s heating tidy up your kitchen a bit & taste the sauce. wow that tastes really good.
3rd once your oil is hot enough — working in batches fry the nuggs. this should take a few minutes with you flipping them over a bit so they are all light golden brown in color. once the batch is done drain on the paper towels. take one small sacrificial nug check if it’s cooked through, if so then dunk into the sauce. if the sauce is looking a lil thick add a splash or two of water, then set the oven to 200 & keep the nugs safe & warm in there & to keep you from eating them as they come out. once all the nuggs are done toss them with the sauce & pop back into the oven for a couple minutes while you quickly chop up the garnishes you forgot about — it’s okay. stars they are just like us. i’m sure this happens to ina garten all the time.
4th plate the nuggs & shower them with the scallions & cilantro. dunk into the kimchi ranch & then maybe dunk again — i won’t tell anyone. these are bit messy so maybe make sure that you have chopsticks or a fork or just a lot of napkins. best enjoyed eaten standing up at the counter while watching college basketball.
something to note — these are the crispy(est) right after they are made — so eat all of them in one sitting — just kidding— reheating wise you could get some crisp back in the oven. but what you really should do is microwave them for 40 seconds/till hot. they will have an incredible crispy gone soggy texture that will remind you of eating next day take out. good over some rice or also just in a lil bowl as snack with a cermak produce green juice for health post run — not that i would know or anything
particularly good things i consumed recently
first bike ride of the szn — up to diversey for a lil wine tasting & some friends — then across town to the lake for a looooong walk with ryan to the zoo, around it & back again. came home slightly dirty, a lil windburned, tired & sun kissed.
the wire — despite going to college in maryland & loving procedurals i had never seen more than the first season. mildly addicted — to say the least.
a little walkaround & leavitt w/ kiera — quite honestly have my favorite burger right now & i would like to have it again soon
brasero w/ ryan — for a nice thursday night dinner — it was literally incredible. the food, the cocktails, the ambience, the company. i had to be rolled out & tucked right into bed. too happy. too great.
audrey’s karaoke birthday — there was a house party tacos pre-game & so many songs to sing @ alice’s — i had never done karaoke before & it was quite a blast
in search of chicago’s best fish fry — the one @ duke’s of perth is quite solid & they have glass bottle heinz ketchup for the chips (this is the superior type of ketchup, if you would like my full dissertation — regarding complex ketchup heirarchies plz venmo me $5)
cat cohen + lilac tiger w/ kaitlyn — literally so funny & so fun — do it for the memoir — do it for the memoir
good material | dolly alderton — not quite as good as ghosts but still a rather enjoyable novel about a comedian goes through a breakup, yes that's the bit - it’s funny, it’s sad & everything in-between
spur of the moment sicilian slices (PIZZA CLOUDS) & wine @ bungalow w/ chloe — quite literally a lovely way to spend a saturday afternoon.
pierogi kitchen —get the potato & cheese pierogis w/ extra sour cream obv, also the bone marrow, bc they give you lil housemade pickles & chips with it & also they have a mezcal margarita that is as good as barbaros’
did you know? that you can buy bacon @ the meat counter in the grocery store like really phenomenal bacon? well i did not bc apparently i’ve lead a sad life until now. thank you ryan for changing that.
dinner @ the bar @ coda — kind of spur of the moment because neither of us felt like cooking & because it was a lil chilly but still sunny — so a walk was v. nice. a couple glasses of wine, a shared frozen limoncello cocktail — the warm octopus salad, the crab mafaldine, & a tiramisu — delicious & cozy.
a cozy little friday hang @ allison & billy’s to see maureen & jon & meet LUCY — so v. sweet & wholesome. literally so adorable.
allez cafe for that phenomenal breakfast sandwich with kaitlyn before we went & got new tattoos
wine tasting at bungalow — that turned into pizza & more wine & then some more & then also some karaoke, 10/10 would do it again
currently consuming
a leisurely sunday — a lil run, maybe putting away my laundry, maybe reading some more of my book instead since the library gave me all my holds at once — then i’ll go drink some wine @ diversey
as always,
mk