As often happens in life, I run across a fabulous recipe, make it and then can never seem to locate it again. 🤦♀️ This is how and why this blog came into existence. My brilliant husband suggested that I have one place where I put my favorites, so we never loose them again. I don't always follow this wonderful advice, but occasionally, I do.
Last year we harvested our first chickens. We got them as day old chicks and raised them, first inside the house in a brooder, and later, outside in our newly built chicken tractor. We picked Delaware chickens, with the plan of keeping them, breeding them, and repeating the entire process. Instead we ended up dispatching all of them. For those of you who follow my instagram of facebook feed, you might recall this around Christmas in 2022. For those that don't, I've included a few photos that I think will be of interest.
When we choose to process the chickens, it was in December and we were getting close to Christmas. It had also gotten cold and we knew it was just going to get colder. So instead of waiting for just the perfect time when the chickens were plump, we instead chose a day we knew would be sunny, and with the help of our good friends April and Tim, we completed our meat chicken grow.
Now the chickens we raised were not Cornish Crosses and they were not the size we had hoped they would be. They are tasty, and we are still enjoying them. This recipe is our favorite way of eating them. I make this and cut the chicken right down the middle, and we each eat half with some rice. I hope you enjoy it with your chicken, store bought or home grown. This recipe is for a "standard" sized chicken.
Gochujang Chicken
1/4 cup Gochujang
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1. Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Gently loosen skin on breast and legs, being careful not to rip it. Fold wing tips under chicken.
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk together Gochujang, 1/4 cup sesame oil, 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ginger, garlic. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a separate bowl for the glaze. Rub the remaining Gochujang mixture on the outside, inside cavity of the chicken and under the skin.
3. Heat oil in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, breast side up, and cook until the bottom starts browning, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon and rub and remaining Gochujang mixture (not the glaze) over the chicken, then transfer the chicken to the oven. Roast until the chicken is well browned, basting once with the pan drippings, 35 to 40 minutes, tendering the chicken with foil if it starts to get too dark.
4. While the chicken bakes, toast the sesame seeds in a small, dry non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir until brown and then remove from heat and let cool. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds into the reserved 2 tablespoons of Gochujang mixture to make the glaze.
5. After the chicken has roasted for 35 to 40 minutes, spoon half the honey sesame glaze on top, gently spreading it to cover the leg and breast. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees, 10-15 minutes. Halfway through, spread the remaining glaze on the chicken. Remove chicken to cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
Here is the final step. We have not made the sauce, and I don't think it needs it.
6. While the chicken rests make the sauce: put the kimchi in a blender along with the rice wine vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Carefully add 1 tablespoon of the dripping from the skillet. Blend until the sauce is very smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to loosen if necessary.
