2.227
20 (Sat) August 2011
Bang-Bal Chicken
3.5
by me
-Sinsa, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
with DJ, K family
On the way home from yesterday’s retreat (see 2.226 Gold Mountain Pork Belly), I got a call from the father of one of DJ’s daycare friends, asking if I were in the mood to have a roof-top barbecue at the home of his kids’ grandparents. When I explained where I was coming from, he paused for a moment and asked, “So, that means you’re not in the mood?” I replied, “No, it means that the food and gear are already in the car.”
I recreated a dish that I’d invented on the fly yesterday, using some leftovers that I’d set aside for the very purpose. Chicken thighs, sliced and tossed in a dressing that was 1 part sambal oelek to 4 parts of a Japanese sauce that my mother calls “nambangsu” (whatever the real name, it’s like a ponzu sauce but lighter and sweeter, or like a tempura sauce but tangier), then grilled. The chicken turned out very nicely, a balance of salty and sweet and sour and spicy. Next time, with a better garnish, perhaps cilantro or chives, this could be 4.0. Maybe I’ll have a better name for it by then (and figure out what “nambangsu” actually is).
(See also FOODS.)
(See also PLACES.)
