Lunch with a bit of Seoul

I get some Korean guests from time to time. I like cooking for them. They know good food, good drinking. Their culture is a fascinating part of the Lonely Planet, and their cooking is a facet that has piqued my interest often since I started learning Asian cuisine.

Yesterday we had ten Korean nationals who flew in from Seoul for a business meeting with some of the Real Estate agencies in the building, and their coordinator requested some good cooking that would welcome them. Though there was the option to make Filipino food, I wanted them to feel at home as well, trying to meld the two cultures together into one lunch.

So the following recipe came into fruition as I was researching for some recipes. Based on the Dakjim Gui recipe, it’s a simple dish that makes the meat deliciously tender, and infused with the flavor of fresh garlic, ginger and toasted sesame

Sesame Ginger Grilled Chicken

4 chicken quarters

1 onion, copped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
90 ml soy sauce
60 ml rice wine
60 ml ginger juice, squeezed from grated fresh ginger
30 ml sesame oil
2 tbsps sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsps sugar

Using a sharp knife, make small incisions around the chicken quarters
For the marinade, mix all other ingredients in a bowl until sugar is completely dissolved
Pour over chicken and rub until well coated
Marinate in a covered container 2-3 hours or better yet overnight
Preheat grill until very hot
Grill the marinated chicken 5-10 minutes on each side, basting often with the marinade, until crispy and cooked through
Top with fried grated ginger and toasted sesame seeds
Serve with steamed bok choi and rice

This goes will with a very cold bottle of Soju or your favorite beer. You can add a bit of zing to this recipe with chili flakes

If you had any Korean friends over for dinner, what would you serve them? Do you have something similar to this?