Spicy Braised Chicken Stew (Dak Doritang)

Over the weekend, friends of mine from Australia were visiting.  Initially we made plans to go out for dinner, but I decided that I wanted to cook.  The husband usually leaves comments on my food photos.  I decided to make spicy braised chicken stew (dak doritang). People called it different names. I've always know this dish as dak doritang. I went to my trusted Maangchi to find a recipe for dak doritang.  I added about 4-5 large carrots cut up into 2 inch pieces when  I added the potatoes.

As I tasted it, I wondered how my non-Asian Aussie friends would handle heat. Luckily, they love spicy food, so everyone enjoyed the meal.

And for that added touch, my husband set the table for our dinner party.  He brought a whole Asian feel to the tablescape. He even found Asian folk music for dinner music.  Not bad for a British man, eh? 

Another funny thing. As I was cooking, our neighbor's cat, Zipper, came over to the kitchen. I think he smelled something good, and he wanted a taste.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
1 kg Chicken wings & thighs

¼ cup soy sauce,

¼ cup garlic, minced

¼ cup hot pepper flakes,

¼ cup hot pepper paste,

1 tbsp sugar,

2-3 med size onions (halved)

2 green onions, chopped

green chili pepper,

3-4 large potatoes.

4-5 large carrots, cut into 2 in pieces.

Directions:
Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

1. Cut 1 kg (about 2 pounds) of chicken wings or chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Wash and  drain.
2. Make seasoning paste by mixing ¼ cup  soy sauce, ¼ cup of minced garlic, ¼ cup hot pepper paste, ¼ cup of hot pepper flakes, and 1 tbs of sugar.
3. Put the chicken and 2 or 3 medium sized onions (2 cups’ worth) into the seasoning paste. Mix it with a spoon.
4. Add 2 cups of water to the pot and mix it up.
5. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, peel 3-4 large potatoes (600 grams: 1.5 pound). Wash and drain them, then cut into large chunks 2 inch across. Set aside.
7. Chop 2 green chili peppers and 2 stalks of green onions into small pieces. Set aside.
8. 20 minutes later, add the potato chunks and chopped green chili peppers to the pot. Stir with a spoon, then let it cook with the lid closed for another 20 minutes.
9. Open the lid and cook another 3-5 minutes. Keep the lid open to boil away some broth and thicken.
10. Occasionally take some broth from the bottom of the pot and pour it over the top so everything gets some delicious broth.
11. Transfer it to a large serving plate and sprinkle 2 chopped green onions over top.