Spicy chicken with cabbage and rice cakes (Dak-galbi)

1. Cut the chicken thigh fillets into large bite-sized pieces, toss with a mix of gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, grated garlic and pepper, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. If the rice cakes are hard, soak them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes; peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 cm batons, and tear the cabbage into large pieces.

3. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan, add the cabbage and sweet potato first, and lay the marinated chicken on top.

4. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the sweet potato is tender and the cabbage has wilted and caramelised.

5. Add the drained rice cakes and cook together for another 3-4 minutes, until soft and coated in sauce; finally scatter over roughly torn perilla leaves.

6. Put the pan in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves, with lettuce leaves or rice.

Tip: In Korea, dak-galbi is cooked on a large cast-iron plate at the table, and at the end rice is fried in the leftover sauce (bokkeumbap) – try it with a bowl of cooked rice and a little sesame oil. If you have no perilla, basil with a little mint works too.