Hot pepper chicken goes with noodles

At one time, chajiangmyun was made completely from scratch, but these days a commercially prepared sauce called chajiang forms the base of the dish. For details, see Key Ingredient.

These recipes, developed by Walter Rhee, are for the classic noodle dish and a typical accompaniment, lahjogi, or hot pepper chicken.

Chajiangmyun

» Gravy:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chajiang sauce (see notes)
1/3 pound diced pork (with fat) or ground pork
1/2 cup minced garlic
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced potato
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons potato starch, dissolved in 1 cup water

Cook noodles in boiling water; drain under cold water.

To make gravy: Add oil and chajiang sauce to cold pan (if you heat the oil first, the heat will scorch the sugar in the chajiang sauce). Place pan over medium heat. When sauce begins to sizzle, add pork and stir until cooked on outside. Add vegetables and stir-fry until cooked. Add sugar; mix. Add water and bring to boil, stirring. Add potato starch mixture to thicken to your preference. Pour over noodles. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 481 calories, 23 g total fat, 4.7 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 437 mg sodium, 58 g total carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 11 g protein.

Notes: Fresh chajiangmyun noodles are sold in Korean supermarkets. They have a high gluten content that makes them extra chewy. Thick, chewy, fresh udon noodles sold in Chinatown may be substituted, or as a last resort, thick spaghetti noodles. Chajiang sauce is sold in Korean markets as black bean paste. Do not use Chinese black bean sauce.

Lahjogi

» Gravy:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup dry Thai chili peppers, or more if desired (see notes)
1/3 cup crushed garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 cup scallions in 2-inch sections
1/4 cup sliced dry shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water to rehydrate
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sliced Chinese cabbage (about 1-by-2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots
1-1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch dissolved in 1 cup water

Cut chicken into bite-size chunks (if using bone-in pieces, cut through bones; don't remove them). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and soy sauce. Coat lightly in cornstarch. Let sit in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare gravy: Heat oil over high heat. Add chili peppers, garlic, ginger, scallions and shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant. Add soy sauce, then cabbage and bamboo shoots. When cabbage is slightly cooked, add water. Thicken with cornstarch mixture. Set aside.

To prepare chicken: Heat oil in shallow pan over medium high heat. Pan-fry chicken pieces until golden. Transfer chicken into gravy, mix quickly over medium heat. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 318 calories, 11.6 g total fat, 3.1 g saturated fat, 73.3 mg cholesterol, 379 mg sodium, 30 g total carbohydrate, 1.3 g fiber, 21.6 g protein.

Notes: A dipping sauce may be made with one part soy sauce and one part white vinegar. Dry Thai chili peppers may be found in Chinese groceries. Regular red chili pepper flakes (cayenne) may be substituted. Korean chili pepper, used to make kim chee, is too powdery.