Soy Braised Chickpeas with Kkwali Gochu and Eggs

Chickpeas braised in an aromatic, soy-based broth with chili peppers and eggs.

Soy Braised Chickpeas w/ Kkwali Gochu and Eggs

Serves 4 - 6

In cuisines across Asia, you will find foods braised in soy sauce and flavored with aromatics. They can sometimes seem a bit salty but the point is to eat them with hot rice which balances the flavor and brings it all together.

This recipe was inspired by the Korean version of a soy braised banchan called jangjjorim. In jangjjorim you will typically find beef brisket simmered with aromatics until mostly tender creating a flavorful beef broth. Added to that are the soy sauce and flavorings which are then braised until tender. The braise is finished with chili peppers and quail eggs.

I’ve taken this idea and added a few flavor tweaks that are Chinese-inspired to mimic the sauce we would get when we ate roast duck and pork at a small restaurant on Canal Street in New Yorks’ Chinatown. The rich flavor of the star anise and spices make he dish rich almost making you forget there is no actual meat while the chilis add freshness and a little spice and the eggs add creaminess that rounds out the whole dish.

“Recipe Tips:

1. For cooking the chickpeas, I use ground spices to prevent having to remove whole spices.

*2. To use canned chickpeas, use 2-15.5 oz cans of chickpeas undrained with 600ml (3 c) water. Simmer for 15 minutes with the chickpea ingredients before adding the braise ingredients and continuing on.

**3. To make a 6-minute egg, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a spoon carefully lower cold eggs into the water. Over high heat, cook the eggs for 6 minutes from the time the last egg has been added. When finished remove the eggs into a bowl of ice water or a bowl of cold water under a running tap. Peel the eggs and reserve.”

Ingredients

Chickpeas

2,000ml (10 c) water

550g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained*

150g (1/2 large) onion, peeled

15g (about 1.5 in piece) whole ginger, sliced into 3 pieces

4 scallions

3 dried bay leaves

0.75 t ground black pepper

0.50 t ground Sichuan pepper

Braise

800ml (4 c) cooking liquid

300ml (1.5 c) soy sauce

100ml (0.50 c) mirin

45g (3 T) brown sugar

5g (1.25 t) kosher salt

30 whole garlic cloves, ends trimmed

2 whole star anise

0.75 t whole fennel seeds

0.75 t whole cumin seeds

Finishing

200g (a little less than 0.50 lb) kkwali gochu or shishito peppers, stems removed and cut in ½

**6 boiled eggs (ideally 6 minutes), peeled

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a large pot bring the chickpea ingredients to a boil, covered.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 60 – 80 minutes or until the chickpeas are very tender.

Be careful of boil over while cooking the chickpeas.

• Remove the onion, scallions and ginger and discard.

• Drain the chickpeas and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

2.      In a large pot combine the braise ingredients and add the chickpeas.

• Bring to a boil.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the garlic cloves are soft.

Cook the eggs while the chickpeas simmer.

If you have time, after cooking allow the chickpeas to stand off heat for 30 minutes before returning to a simmer and finishing.

• Add the eggs and chilis and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes depending on your preferred doneness of the eggs and chilis.

For jammy eggs and tender crisp chilis, simmer for 5 minutes

For well done eggs add before the chilis and cook at least 3 minutes before adding the chilis.

3.      Serve over rice spooning the braising liquid over everything.