Gochujang Chicken Thigh Stew With Sticky Rice

Boil a kettle, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely grate your ginger

Top, tail, peel and chop your carrot[s] into quarters lengthways, then into thin batons

Rinse your sushi rice in a sieve under cold running water for 30 secs, then set aside to drain fully

Add the drained rice with 200ml [300ml] [400ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low until very gently bubbling and cook, covered, for 15 min

After 15 min, remove the pot from the heat and keep covered for a further 10 min before serving

Tip: Don't peek! Keep the lid on the whole time to get fluffy and sticky rice!

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into bite-sized pieces

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your diced chicken thigh and 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 2-3 min on each side or until starting to brown

Once starting to brown, add the carrot batons and chopped pepper to the pan with the grated ginger, chopped garlic and your toasted sesame oil and cook for a further 3-4 min or until fragrant and starting to soften

Meanwhile, dissolve your chicken stock mix, gochujang paste (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and soy sauce in 300ml [390ml] [510ml] boiled water – this is your spiced stock

Once the vegetables have softened, add the spiced stock and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar to the pan with a grind of pepper and bring to the boil

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, covered, for 5-6 min or until the veg is tender and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Meanwhile, wash your spinach and pat dry with kitchen paper

Once the chicken is cooked, add the spinach to the pan and cook for a final 1-2 min or until wilted – this is your gochujang chicken thigh stew