I’m so ready for the fall. I’m been over the hot weather for a while and have been waiting to welcome cooler weather, jeans and long sleeved tops, warm drinks, crunchy leaves on the ground, and please oh please, some much needed rain. Our string of super hot days seem to be stretching on for an eternity, so I’ve taken matters into my own hands in ushering in fall a little faster. In the kitchen, fall means the slow cooker comes and out and takes up residence on the counter. I brought it out a week ago, despite 80 degree weather, because I just had to.

This Korean braised chicken (dak jjim) is one of my recent favorites, it’s so good and really easy to throw together. A version of it is actually the first Korean dish that my mom intentionally showed me how to make, she said my grandmother used to prepare it. The method I learned involved a pot, the stove, and getting the simmer just right, and I spent a long time wondering if there was a way to simplify it with the slow cooker. And then I found it! Via one of my favorite Korean cooking blogs, I love the internet.

I followed the recipe pretty closely, but added a lot more vegetables.  I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could also use winter squashes like kabocha and butternut. I will most definitely be giving that a go in the upcoming months. If you read through the recipe you’ll notice that there’s actually no braising involved at all! All just slow cooking, that results in incredibly moist, fall off the bone meat and tender vegetables, all with the same dak jjim flavor.

And… just like that, in the midst of drafting this post, the rain came! A good heavy downpour. I enjoyed a day of jeans wearing and getting to bundle the kids and myself up a bit. I hope there’s more of that in the near future.

Slow Cooker Korean Braised Chicken, adapted from Korean Bapsang

1 medium sized chicken, about 2.5 pounds cut up (or the equivalent of chicken pieces, preferably bone in)
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks
4 large mushroom caps, cut in large chunks
4 garlic cloves
4 thin ginger slices, from 1 inch round
2 green onions, for garnish at end
sesame seeds, for garnish at end
Sauce:
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons rice wine (substitute with vinegar for a more adobo-like taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Add the chicken and all the vegetables (minus the green onions) into a slow cooker. Mix together the sauce in a separate bowl, then pour over the chicken and vegetables. Stir together.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. When done, the meat will be falling off the bones. I like the take all the bones out before serving but you can also serve as is and just eat carefully. Garnish with chopped green onion and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds.