I wasn’t sure if I should post this recipe because it went through so much defilements, I could barely even call it Korean. 😛 First the name, this was derived from Sogogi Wanja. Now I did some research and ‘sogogi’ means beef. So this was originally made with ground beef…but I didn’t have ground beef, I had chicken. I thought I’d substitute the meat with chicken instead. I searched the word for chicken in Korean and it’s ‘dakgogi’, hence this name I came up with – dakgogi wanja (chicken tofu patties). Secondly, I coated it with panko before frying it…it should be a rather smooth surface but I was craving for crunchiness.
Again, I’m soiling this recipe even further by serving it with a mild homemade tartar sauce instead of the original soy-vinegar sauce cause I presumed that the patties itself would be very well-seasoned so you don’t really need that extra salt. So not Korean right? But it was so delicious and such a hearty appetizer that you hardly need to ponder over the origin or the name, cause at the end of the day…..good food, great taste and good company is all that matters right? Holler!
DAKGOGI WANJA RECIPE
Ingredients;
Lean chicken meat (1 chicken breast)
1 small block of firm tofu
Half and onion
Scallions chopped, about 3 tablespoons
2 cloves garlic, grated
Salt
White pepper
Sesame oil
1 tablespoon of beaten egg (keep the rest for the breading)
Oil for frying
Breading;
1 beaten egg
Flour
Panko breadcrumbs
Tartar Sauce;
Mayonnaise
1 whole pickle, chopped finely
1 tablespoon of the pickle juice
Steps;
1. Place the tofu on a kitchen paper to soak up excess water. Put the chicken meat, onion in a mincer and grind till everything comes to a paste. Add in the tofu, break it up with your hands. Grind further till it comes to a thick paste, almost pate-like.
2. Transfer it to a bowl. Add your scallions, salt, pepper, sesame oil and garlic. Mix everything together thoroughly. Pour in your beaten egg and mix again.
3. Form your patties, about half your palm size, don’t make it too thick in the middle or it won’t cook through.
4. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan. This is not deep fry.
5. Coat your patties with flour, brush off excess. Dip it in the egg and then the breadcrumbs.
6. Place in the oil when it’s ready and fry till both sides are even brown. You can do one as a taste test first. If your mixture is too bland, adjust the seasoning.
7. Fry all your patties and drain them on a rack to cool slightly.
8. Mix all the ingredients of the tartar sauce together and eat with the patties.
Enjoy! Korean or not!
