Quick, simple, satisfying: Chicken Kimchi Hash

Kimchi adds a garlicky, tangy, spicy kick to a chicken and potatoes hash. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e love kimchi so much. We try to have a jar of it in the fridge at all times. And while we mix it in all sorts of things, most often we just snack on it, and I’m not embarrassed to say that this often takes the form of straight from the jar, in front of the open refrigerator.

Sunday afternoon, we were randomly driving around, taking care of a few little errands and musing about what to fix for dinner. It was really cold and windy out, and we were a bit under the weather, so we were trying to puzzle out something that would be full of comfort and heartiness and simplicity.

How about some hash? (It was driving past a terrible diner that gave me the idea.) We’ve got potatoes, and some leftover roasted chicken.

And kimchi, Terry said. We’ve got that.

I said Yeah!!!!

A little more about that kimchi. For this dish, we used the most familiar sort of kimchi—made with chopped napa cabbage, plus garlic and chili. But there are dozens of varieties of kimchi, made with things like cucumber, mustard leaves and many varieties of radish. We recommend trying them all. The radish kinds are especially nice—you will love the crunchiness.

And in terms of brands, yes, every brand tastes different. The variation in species is wonderful. Here in Chicago, we often go with Grandma’s Authentic Handmade Kimchi, from Joong Boo Market. Bon Appétit once named it one of their eight favorite kimchis in the country. It’s the right level of garlicky, salty, fiery wonder that we love. The ornery thing about that brand is that except for the nutritional labeling, everything on the jar is in Korean, so we can’t tell you much more about it. But it is so good!

For this dish, we tried a new-to-us brand, Mother in Law’s Kimchi. It’s not as intense as Grandma’s—if you are a tad hesitant about this whole kimchi thing, it is an excellent entry-level product, and it is very widely available.

Meanwhile, I dragged my sorry self into the kitchen. I thought preparing this would be harder than it was. It was easy. It was, in fact, ridiculously easy—maybe thirty minutes start to finish, including prep (less time than it takes to go get carryout, and you don’t have to face the icy streets). And it was delicious—the kimchi added plenty of flavor and a little heat to the hash, but didn’t take over.

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Chicken Kimchi Hash

Kimchi adds a garlicky, tangy, spicy kick to a chicken and potatoes hash.

Course Main Course, Poultry

Cuisine Asian-inspired

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed—we used Yukon Gold
• 1 cup kimchi, chopped coarsely—use your favorite brand
• 2 cups roasted chicken, cubed
• sea salt, if needed
• 3 tablespoons grape seed or other neutral oil, divided
• Optional add-ons: sour cream, chopped green onion, a fried or poached egg, hot sauce

Instructions

• Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until they are just tender, then drain in a colander.
• In a big heavy bottomed nonstick sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. When it is medium hot, add the chicken and sauté quickly until it just starts to brown. Add the kimchi and sauté together for three or four more minutes, then move it all to a bowl and reserve.
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the potatoes and toss to coat with oil. Sauté the potatoes over medium high heat until they are nicely golden. Don’t constantly stir them—let them sit for a while on each side to ensure they get really beautiful.
• Return the chicken and kimchi to the pan and stir everything together. Don’t salt it until you taste it—some kimchi brings plenty of salt up front. Sauté for two or three minutes more, stirring and turning with your spatula, until everything is nicely heated through. You’re done. Serve!

Kitchen Notes

Variations on a theme. Instead of the chicken, top with a nice fried or poached egg just before serving. Substitute roast beef or pork instead of chicken. Scatter on some chopped fresh cilantro or chopped green onion. Add a blob of sour cream or even plain Greek yogurt. If it’s not spicy enough for you, dash on some hot sauce—we love Cholula or Tree Sauce from Dia de los Tamales (which we just learned has closed—no!).

What to do with that leftover kimchi? Try our kimchi potato salad, or this meaty dish of pork chops, kimchi and white beans or this kimchi stew with pork belly and tofu. Or you can do what we do and just eat it straight out of the jar, standing in front of the fridge. Always wonderful.