Momofuku Rice Sticks with Dragon Sauce

This is a simple recipe and a nice break from traditional starches. I served it along with miso soup, Momofuku's pork belly buns.

Here are the main ingredients: rice sticks (find in frozen food section of Asian market), dragon sauce, sesame seeds for garnish.

Dragon Sauce

• 60g (1/4 cup) water
• 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 180g (6 tablespoons) ssämjang (Korean seasoned/chili bean paste)
• 15g (1 tablespoons) light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (or more to taste)

In a small saucepan over high heat, stir together the water and sugar until it boils and all the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in the ssämjang, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil until combined.

 

Rice Cakes

• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup broth
• 1/2 cup Red Dragon Sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 long rice cake sticks (about 500 g)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions

 

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the mirin and broth to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the red dragon sauce. Reduce until thick and glossy, about 7 minutes. Add the roasted onions, stir to combine, and turn off the heat.

If your rice sticks are frozen, simmer for 3 minutes in boiling water, then rinse very well and drain.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until smoking, then add the rice cakes and reduce the heat to medium. Sear the rice cakes about 3 minutes a side or until light golden brown all over. Transfer them to a cutting board and cut into 3/4 inch lengths.

Turn the heat back on under the sauce and heat until boiling. Toss in the rice cakes and sesame seeds for a few seconds. Serve hot with the sliced scallions on top.

Here are the finished rice sticks. I probably could have fried them a bit longer to get them even crispier on the outside.

 

Korean Extravaganza

I'm just a short drive from Flushing and and over the past few months, I've collected a lot of ingredients/equipment including a very large bag of Korean pepper flakes, soy bean paste, various misos, and a Korean grill (couldn't resist) that I thought I'd put to good use. Thin sliced beef was on sale at the H-Mart so I used that as the starting point and raided my cupboard and fridge to supplement.

The start of Sunday night dinner - the sauces. From bottom to top: 1) sweetened soy sauce with some grated ginger for the pan-fried tofu appetizer (forgot to photograph), 2) homemade gochujang (Korean chili paste) from a great recipe from Shizuoka Gourmet for the bulgogi, 3) dipping sauce for the haemul pajeon (Korean seafood pancake) from Food & Wine, and finally 4) a mixture of daenjang (Korean bean paste, soy and some ginger) - a bonus sauce, had the daenjang around and thought why not.

 

Homemade Korean Sauces

My edited attempt at banchan - on top left, daikon and carrots in a sweetened vinegar marinade (equal parts water, white vinegar and sugar to taste with a bit of salt), top right is a homemade quick kimchi from an Epicurious recipe (surprisingly good - the whole fermenting for days on the countertop bit in traditional recipes always seemed like too much work), bottom left are chilled braised daikon cubes (simmered daikon in equal part water and soy plus a bit of grated ginger, crushed garlic and a spoonful of Korean chili flakes) and finally some Chinese pre-packaged marinated jellyfish I had sitting in the fridge.

Pickled Carrots and Radish (top left), Homemade Kimchi (top right), Braised Daikon (bottom left), Marinated Jellyfish (bottom right)

Here is the haemul pajeon cooking on the stove - should have used a larger skillet, duly noted for the next time out. Used a cup of Korean pancake flour mixed with 3/4 cup of water and a mixture of a sliced squid, a few shrimps, cooked clams, a good handful of sliced scallions.

Seafood Pancake Cooking

A (blurry) picture of the bulgogi cooking on the Korean grill that's been sitting around for months and waiting to be used. I had half a bottle of teriyaki marinade in the fridge so I used that and toned it down with some soy and ginger.

Bulgogi Cooking on Korean Grill Pan

The finished pajeon. Miso soup on the side - I love miso soup, so easy and delicious (will post recipe soon) -- a quick dashi, a few scoops of miso, scallions to top and ta da.

Pajeon and Miso Soup

And the finished bulgogi, ate it in butter lettuce along with rice and of course the sauces.

Finished Bulgogi