Banchan Menu

  • 2.5 Hours
  • 4
  • 3 Recipes
A Korean-style menu traditionally eaten with rice, Banchan is great for a casual evening full of flavor.

Recipe G.G. Cole Slaw

This eponymous salad gets its name from its signature ingredient: Gochugaru. Gochugaru is a ground chili powder made from dried chilis, and is an essential spice in Korean cooking. If you can’t find Gochugaru, you can substitute with Aleppo pepper, Gochujang, or crushed red chili pepper flakes. The order of operations called for in this recipe may seem overly specific, but I promise it pays off. Chop and salt the cabbage first—this gives it a chance to give up some water before incorporating it in the slaw, allowing the dressing to absorb more quickly into the cabbage and resulting in a salad with a more concentrated flavor. Make the dressing second; the garlic needs at least a little time to macerate and mellow out. Meanwhile, chop the remaining vegetables and toast the sesame seeds. Fried chicken and cole slaw is a classic combination, and the Korean spices used in this recipe take it to another level entirely.

A recipe by
Ben Phillips
Ingredients List

For the Salad

  • 1 head green cabbage (see note above)
  • 1 head red/purple cabbage
  • 1 medium-to-large carrot
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • White and black sesame seeds

For the Dressing

  • White miso
  • Rice vinegar
  • Soy sauce
  • Maple syrup
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Ginger
  • Gochugaru (see note above)

Drain that cabbage!

  • Finely chop the cabbage.
  • Toss w/ 1 tbsp kosher salt and leave in a colander to drain.

Make the Dressing

  • Whisk together 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp white miso paste, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp maple syrup, and 2 tbsp Gochugaru (more or less to match your appetite for spice).
  • Slowly add 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp canola oil, whisking constantly until a smooth emulsion is formed.
  • Fold in minced garlic and 1 tsp grated/minced ginger and set aside.

Prep remaining veggies and sesame seeds

  • Julienne carrot and thinly slice scallions on a bias.
  • Spread 1 tbsp white sesame seeds and 1 tbsp black sesame seeds on a baking sheet. Toast for five minutes, or until white sesame seeds turn golden brown, and set aside.

Finnish the salad

  • Once the sesame seeds have cooled, reserve 2 tsp mixed sesame seeds and a handful of scallions.
  • Combine all other ingredients and toss with dressing. Let rest for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Top with sesame seeds and scallions and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Korean Fried Chicken

This recipe comes from the good people at Serious Eats, one of my favorite sites for recipes and general cooking advice. They take a scientific approach to cooking, testing recipes and various cooking methods over and over again until they perfect it. This recipe for Korean Fried Chicken is a perfect example. They use vodka in the batter to slow down the formation of gluten which makes more consistently crispy fried chicken. I use chicken breasts in our version since that's what my family prefers, but feel free to substitute any kind of chicken. I also have recipes here for two different sauces: one spicy; one not-so-much. The spicy one isn’t THAT spicy, but if you have a sensitive crew, the latter is a guaranteed fan favorite.

A recipe by
Ben Phillips (Adapted from The Best Korean Fried Chicken Recipe by J. Kenji López-alt)
Ingredients List

For the Chicken

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt (all measurements were made using Diamond Crystal salt; use half if using Morton’s)
  • ¾ cups cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ½ cup vodka
  • 1 qt oil for frying (canola or peanut)
  • White and black sesame seeds
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs such as Thai basil, mint and/or cilantro.

For the Gochujang Sauce

  • Rice vinegar
  • Gochujang paste (see note below)
  • Fish sauce
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Canola oil
  • Garlic
  • Ginger

For the Miso-Ginger Sauce Sauce

  • Rice vinegar
  • White miso paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Maple syrup
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Canola oil
  • Ginger

Let's start with prepping the chicken

  • Cut the chicken into desired size; I go bite-sized.
  • Combine 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add chicken and toss until every surface is coated. Transfer to the refrigerator and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

While the chicken rests, make the sauce(s), first, the spicy sauce

  • Whisk together 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp gochujang paste, ½ tsp fish sauce, and 1½ tsp dark brown sugar. If you can’t get your hands on gochujang, mix 1 part Sriracha, 2 parts white miso paste, and 2 parts tomato paste.
  • Slowly add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp canola oil, whisking constantly until a smooth emulsion is formed.
  • Fold in 1 minced/crushed garlic clove and 1 tsp grated ginger.

And the miso-ginger sauce

  • Whisk together 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp white miso paste, 2 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp maple syrup.
  • Slowly add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp canola oil, whisking the entire time until a smooth emulsion is formed.
  • Fold in 1 tsp grated ginger.

Prep the Garnish

  • Slice four scallions thinly, on a diagonal. In a bowl, combine w/ salt and a splash of rice vinegar. Set aside.
  • Spread 2 tbsp white sesame seeds and 1 tbsp black sesame seeds on a baking sheet. Toast for five minutes, or until white sesame seeds turn golden brown, and set aside.
  • Roughly chop fresh herbs and set aside.

Fry the Chicken

  • Heat the oil over high heat in a dutch oven or other large pot until it reaches 350° F.
  • Combine ½ cup cornstarch, ½ tsp baking powder, flour and 2 tsp kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and vodka and wish until a smooth batter is formed. The batter should be thinner than typical batters, similar to the consistency of paint.
  • Once the oil reaches temperature, begin dredging chicken and lowering into the oil. Do not overcrowd, be prepared to work in batches. Turn the chicken periodically as it cooks. Each batch should take between 5 and 8 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Let cooked chicken rest on a cooling rack.
  • When all chicken is cooked, transfer to serving dish. Toss gently with desired sauce (start light; you’d be surprised, a little sauce goes a long way). Finish w/ the garnishes and enjoy!

Recipe Banchan spinach

This recipe is a take on a traditional banchan, Sigeumchi Namul. It is refreshing while also full of flavor.

A recipe by
Ben Phillips
Ingredients List
  • 2 lbs spinach
  • Rice vinegar
  • White miso paste
  • Fish sauce
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • White sesame seeds
  • 1 bunch scallions

Making the Salad

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water such that you can taste the salinity, but it is not overpowering.
  • Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
  • In batches, blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, then remove from boiling water (using tongs or metal spider) and immediately plunge in ice bath. Once all spinach is cooked and cooled, remove from ice bath and drain.
  • While spinach is draining, prepare garnish and dressing. Spread 2 tbsp sesame seeds on baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Set aside.
  • Slice 2 scallions thinly on a diagonal and set aside.
  • Whisk together 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp white miso paste, ½ tsp fish sauce. Slowly add 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, whisking constantly until a smooth emulsion is formed. Fold in 1 minced/crushed garlic clove and 1 tsp grated ginger.
  • Remove spinach from colander one handful at a time and carefully squeeze out all extra water.
  • Place spinach in serving dish. Add half of the scallions, half of the sesame seeds and the dressing. Mix by hand.
  • Top with the remaining scallions and sesame seeds and serve. Enjoy!
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