To chef Hak Kim, garlic is a crucial ingredient in the meat preparations for his kicked-up Asian fare. The grilled spicy chicken with flash kimchi salad that he made for the 2016 Cleveland Garlic Festival chef grill-off is no exception, with the garlic in the marinade contrasting the sweetness of the Asian pear. “It’s all about the balance,” he says. “If you put too much garlic ... in your sauce, it overwhelms the other ingredients.”

Grilled Spicy Chicken with Flash Kimchi Salad | Makes 4 servings
Recipe courtesy of SASA

Flash Kimchi Salad

INGREDIENTS 
1/2 pound red pepper, julienned
1/2 pound daikon, julienned
1/2 pound English cucumber, julienned
1 tablespoon gochugaru 
(Korean red pepper flakes)
4 tablespoons white vinegar 
1 tablespoon sesame oil 
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine gochugaru, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix the dressing with the daikon, red pepper and cucumber.

Spicy Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Asian pear, grated

Grilled Spicy Chicken with Flash Kimchi Salad
Serves 4

DIRECTIONS
Combine gochugaru, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix the dressing with the daikon, red pepper and cucumber.

DIRECTIONS
Prepare grill for medium-high, indirect heat. Combine gochujang, soy sauce, Asian pear, garlic, sesame oil and pepper in a bowl. Rub the chicken with the marinade mixture, and let sit in refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the chicken on the grill, turning often until browned on all sides. Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch thick pieces. 

ASSEMBLE
Divide the kimchi into four portions and place on each plate. Divide chicken into four portions and place on each plate next to the kimchi. (Chef Hak Kim also dresses up his plate with grilled scallions and shishito peppers.)