Dakkochi (Korean Chicken Skewers) are a common street food in South Korea. The chicken is marinated and basted in a sweet soy glaze. I used an indoor countertop grill and the chicken still came out tender and succulent (this is the word Chad used to describe the skewers). Serve these with rice and gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste). Gochujang
The Asian pear is native to Japan, Korea, and China. Other common names include Japanese/Korean/Chinese pear, apple pear, sand pear, and nashi pear. Compared to western pears, Asian pears are more crisp and juicy. They bruise easily, so be careful with storage (in a cool, dry place). Pick ripe pears by their strong, sweet smell. Avoid those that are bruised and soft. In Asian cooking, they are often ground and used in sauces/marinades as a sweetener. They are high in vitamin C and fiber.
Asian pear information from Produce Oasis
Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, peeled
1/2 small onion
1/2 Asian pear
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Grate the garlic, ginger, onion, and pear. Place in large bowl or freezer bag. Mix in the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, green onion, and ground black pepper.
Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and combine with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
Skewer the chicken and set aside.
Strain the marinade through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Simmer on medium heat until slightly thickened, 5-10 minutes.
Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Baste occasionally while cooking with the thickened marinade.
If using a counter top grill, cooking time is about 4-5 minutes total on medium high heat.
Adapted from Closet Cooking
https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/dakkochi/
mary lucas says
is this a good recipe to cook for a school function. will be served cold?
Tara says
I personally don’t like meat cold, but others might. How far in advance would you be making it?
mary lucas says
the same day. the function is at night. i thought of disposable chafing dishes but would have to keep warm all day.
Tara says
I’ve never tried it, so can’t say how it would turn out. I would be concerned about the chicken drying out while heating all day since breast meat is used. Also have to make sure the temperature stays above food safety levels.
Tara says
I also have no catering experience, so I know very little on the subject. Hope you are able to find something that works!
mary lucas says
i made this recipe. the sauce was the best sauce i have ever had. i added fresh ginger!! the chicken coating wouldn’t stick to the chicken so the it wasn’t crisp. what can i do to make the it stick?
Tara says
So glad you enjoyed it! Fresh ginger definitely makes a difference 🙂 The sauce isn’t really meant to stick. The chicken is marinated in it, then I baste the chicken a few times with the heated sauce as it grills. This helps to absorb more of the flavor. I baste it one last time right before it comes off the grill to give it an extra boost of flavor.