Imagine the joys of Korean fried chicken. Except skipping the frying (and the chicken). The simple, brilliant yangnyeom chickpeas in Eric Kim's debut cookbook Korean American unlocks them for us, and fast. And once you memorize Eric's sweet-spicy yangnyeom sauce, you definitely won't want to stop at chickpeas.
As Eric writes in Korean American, “Sticky-sweet yangnyeom sauce is one of those genius inventions that was meant for fried chicken, but tastes wonderful on everything else—case in point, crispy chickpeas. To be truly happy, this is all I need with Netflix, a cold beer, and my pup at my side. And like most things in this book, these chickpeas taste divine as a banchan with a little fresh white rice on the side. The scallions are also a nod to a particular preparation of fried chicken in Korea, where a tangle of them is added atop for freshness. Don’t skip the caramelized honey: It’s really fun to make and finishes the dish with a shiny gloss, plus the sweetness helps balance the other flavors, like the funky heat from the gochujang and the savory bite from the soy sauce and garlic.”
A few more tips: If you have leftovers, they’ll keep well for snacking on as a banchan throughout the week. In addition to crispy chickpeas, try yangnyeom sauce in all sorts of other places that could use some sweetness, heat, and shine: roasted potatoes, broccoli, or brussels sprouts; baby back ribs; seared pork chops; crispy tofu; and, of course, fried chicken.
Recipe adapted very slightly from Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home (Clarkson Potter, March 2022).
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Hear more about this recipe from Eric himself on our podcast The Genius Recipe Tapes. —Genius Recipes
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