Crispy Yangnyeom Chickpeas with Caramelized Honey

Sticky-sweet yangnyeom sauce is one of those genius inventions that was meant for fried chicken, but tastes wonderful on everything else—case in point, crispy chickpeas. To be truly happy, this is all I need with Netflix, a cold beer, and my pup at my side. And like most things in this book, these chickpeas taste divine as a banchan with a little fresh white rice on the side. The scallions are also a nod to a particular preparation of fried chicken in Korea, where a tangle of them is added atop for freshness. Don’t skip the caramelized honey: It’s really fun to make and finishes the dish with a shiny gloss, plus the sweetness helps balance the other flavors, like the funky heat from the gochujang and the savory bite from the soy sauce and garlic.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2

2. On a sheet pan, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bake until crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through baking.

Step 3

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or skillet, combine the ketchup, gochujang, strawberry jam, soy sauce, and garlic and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook this yangnyeom sauce until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 4

4. Add the crispy chickpeas to the pan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces slightly and gets absorbed by the chickpeas, and the chickpeas get sticky, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

5. Move the chickpeas to one side of the pan and add the honey to the empty side. Let the honey bubble up, stirring all the while, and cook down until reduced and caramelized, about 1 minute or so. Stir the chickpeas into the honey and watch as they glisten up. Remove from the heat.

Step 6

6. To serve, transfer the chickpeas to a plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions.

Step 7

Tip Soaking long strands of scallions in ice-cold water will cause them to curl like the photo on this page. This garnish doesn’t make or break the dish by any means, but it does looks fun and adds volume and freshness to the plate. The icy soak softens the oniony bite from the scallions, allowing you to eat them like a salad.