Recipe: Bulgogi chicken, giant cous cous

Th

is is one of my all time favourite meals and it is so easy to make, so I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

The inspiration behind this dish actually came from the ‘firecracker chicken hot box’ that Starbucks sold a few years back. I loved it so much that when they stopped selling it I decided to make my own version. The portion size at Starbucks was pretty small - I could have easily eaten two. With my recipe your money definitely goes a lot further! This has got a fair old kick to it, so if you’re not into spicy food, I’d consider giving this one a miss! You can add different veg if you like - I’ve had it with mange tout before, which is a nice addition.

Sometimes fusion food can be a bit confused, but this really works. You’d usually find the main ingredients in Mediterranean cooking, but the bulgogi sauce originates from Korea and is usually served with beef. Trust me on this one!

You’ll notice I mention the temperature of the chicken a couple of times. If you don’t already cook your meat with a thermometer, I’d highly recommend it. You can pick one up in a supermarket for a few quid and it is infinitely better than cooking to a set time as you’re guaranteed to get the meat just right. Just remember to stick it in the fattest part of the meat otherwise it might be underdone in places.

Serves 4

Ingredients: • 4 chicken breasts • 1 red pepper, sliced • 1 courgette, quartered then sliced • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional) • 1 pack giant cous cous • 120ml bulgogi marinade (available in Tesco) • 100ml Korean BBQ sauce (available in most larger supermarkets) • a handful of rocket leaves

Method: • Pour half the bulgogi marinade and half the Korean BBQ sauce into a large bowl and put your chicken in. Ensure the chicken is well coated, then cover and leave to marinate for at least a couple of hours. • Preheat an oven to 190°C. Place your chicken on a baking tray and pour over any excess marinade from the bowl. Put the tray in the oven and cook for roughly 25 minutes, or until the chicken reads 75°C on a thermometer. • Meanwhile, cook your giant cous cous according to the pack instructions. I tend to simmer for around 10 minutes for the best results. Once the cous cous is cooked through, strain the water and leave to one side). • Put your onions in a large oiled frying pan on a medium heat and until soft (around 5 minutes), then add the red pepper and courgette. Continue to fry until everything is cooked. • By now your chicken shoukd be just about ready, but if not turn off the heat on your pans until it is. When the chicken is cooked, use two forks to shred it. If your chicken is cooked to 75°C it should pull apart easily but still be nice and juicy. • Place the chicken and giant cous cous into your frying pan with the veg in, and pour over any juices from the baking tray. Pour in the rest of your bulgogi marinade and Korean BBQ sauce in, and put the pan back on the heat, mixing and warming everything through. • Garnish with some sliced red chilli if you’re feeling particularly spicy, and a handful of rocket leaves.