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Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

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I’m not a vegetarian but we are making a concerted effort to eat less meat and more veggies.  Good for us and good for the planet.  It’s much easier now with so many cookbook authors, bloggers, and chefs being much more veggie-forward.

The first new year recipe I tried was Cauliflower Steaks with a Smoky Tomato Rub from Cook the Vineyard.  Delicious, off to a good start!  I also received Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia with Love during the holidays.  A nod to her Chinese roots, she has penned a beautiful cookbook that relies on vegetables.  But before I even cracked open the book I found this recipe from her, Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms, in Bon Appetit.  It’s so good.

The recipe can be broken down into 3 parts.  The creamy cashew sauce, the umami-filled chili crisp, soy, vinegar sauce, and the noodles.

Cashew Sauce

Who knew? Blending cashews with water, garlic makes an amazing, creamy, rich sauce that is the perfect stand-in for heavy cream.

It is super versatile, add herbs and spices for a sauce over roasted vegetables like carrots and broccoli. Or add some tahini for a sesame flavored sauce. Yummy.  I know, cashews can be pretty darn expensive.  I buy mine at Costco or local Indian markets which helps save some buckaroos,

The base sauce is cashews, water, garlic, salt, and a bit of oil.  It’s genius.  The cashews are hydrated first, in hot water, before tossing them in a blender or food processor with other ingredients and whirred into a sauce that provides flavor and a wonderfully creamy, decadent sauce.  Shazam.

Chili Oil

The chili sauce comes together quickly and provides that burst of flavor that brings it all together.  Use your favorite Chili Crisp Oil.  I use either the OG of Chili Crisp Oils, Lao Gan Ma, or Momofuku Chili Crisp.  Hetty McKinnon has a homemade chili crisp oil in her book.  It’s on my bucket list of things to try.

The Noods

Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles that are thick and springy.  Often overshadowed by its flashy cousin ramen. It is served in soup, hot or cold, and stir-fried.  My fav is in soup with shreds of beef, Niku Udon, with Aburaage, fried tofu, or simply with an egg.  Here is my Udon primer.  It works really well in this dish, the creamy sauce coats the thick, sticky udon nicely. The noodles have a nice bite that compliments the mushrooms.  BUT, you could use different noodles, keep in mind you’ll want a thicker noodle, one that can stand up to the sauce (so not thin vermicelli noodles).  For a gluten-free option, a wide rice noodle would work well.

Not gonna lie, always going to love meat, but folks like Hetty McKinnon are making it much easier to make our meals much more veggie-centric.  This pasta dish is going in the regular rotation!

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Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

From Hetty McKinnon an absolutely delicious pasta dish that uses cashews to create a creamy, decadent sauce, it’s vegetarian, it’s vegan, it’s yummy!
Course Main Course, one bowl meal, pasta
Cuisine Asian-American, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, cashew, Creamy cashew sauce, mushrooms, Udon
Prep Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

CASHEW CREAM

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 garlic clove coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Chili Oil

  • 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang or Chinese Black Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. chili crisp or chili oil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced

The Shrooms

  • 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. oyster shiitake, crimini, or button mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Noodles and Garnish

  • 28 oz. fresh or frozen udon noodles Substitute wide rice noodles for gluten-free option.
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

Cashew Cream

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
  • Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

Umami Sauce

  • Stir vinegar, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallion in a small bowl to combine; set soy-vinegar sauce aside.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing every minute or so but leaving mostly undisturbed, until mostly golden and crisp, 5–8 minutes, oyster and shiitakes will cook quicker, while crimini and button mushrooms will take a bit longer. Add garlic and kosher salt, cook, stirring often, add additional tablespoon of olive oil if the mushrooms look dry.

Noodles

  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. You can use udon or any wide, thick noodle. For gluten-free option use rice noodles. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  • Remove half of the mushrooms from the pan. Add noodles and cashew cream to pan with remianing mushrooms cook, stirring and adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time, until cream is loose and coats noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide noodles among bowls, garnish with reserved mushrooms generously drizzle each with reserved soy-vinegar sauce. Top with remaining scallions. Serve.

Notes

You could make this gluten free too!  Use a wheat free soy sauce, like a Tamari Sauce and a rice noodle for the udon. 
Blend the cashew sauce well, preferably use a blender or food processor.  Don’t be timid, you want a nice smooth sauce.

 
Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp With Cabbage Slaw & Gochujang Mayo-Shrimply the Best

Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp With Cabbage Slaw & Gochujang Mayo-Shrimply the Best

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I came home from work the other day and ANNOYINGLY, with a couple of kids home and the hubster, no one had even thought about dinner.  I mean really, I’m bringing home the “bacon”, the least someone could do is start dinner. But then I remembered we had some raw shrimp left from our hotpot celebration and a head of red cabbage, time for Joy Cho’s recipe for Pan-fried Crispy Shrimp with a Red Cabbage Slaw and Gochujang Mayo.  I have been itching to try it for a while. It sounded very doable (even after working the whole day) and looked stunning.  If it’s anywhere close to as delicious as her Gochujang Pasta, we’d have another winner.

Shred cabbage thinner than this!

Make the spicy mayo first, which is just Kewpie Mayo, Gochujang, Gochugaro, honey, and sesame, so simple, so good. The slaw comes next which means slicing the cabbage and making a quick vinegar dressing. Use a mandolin to shred the cabbage if you have one.  If not, slice as thin as possible.  I took a shortcut (hey, I worked ALL day peeps) and grabbed a bag of Trader Joe’s 10-minute Farro.  My Anson Mills Farro would have to wait for another day. We cooked the farro in dashi which added a nice briny punch that complements the shrimp. Boom, umami boost.

On to the shrimp, a coat of cornstarch before frying gives it a nice crunchy finish.  Hit the shrimp with a generous amount of S & P or Momofuku Savory Salt before frying.

Finish dish with green onions and roasted black or white sesame seeds.  I placed the mayo in a squirt bottle so I could liberally squeeze it all over the top, looks good amirite?  Voila’ a stunning dinner in minutes!

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Pan-fried Crispy Shrimp with a Red Cabbage Slaw and Gochujang Mayo

A Pan-fried Crispy Shrimp with a Red Cabbage Slaw and Gochujang Mayo from Joy Cho. Delicious, easy to prepare, absolutley stunning dish!
Course Main Course, one bowl meal
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword farro, gochujang, red cabbage, shrimp, spicy mayo
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Da Grain

  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt plus more
  • 1 cup semi-pearled farro or wheat berries, rinsed I used TJ's 10 min farroand cooked it in dashi,substitute any grain you like, brown rice, bulgur or even cauliflower rice

Da Mayo Sauce

  • 1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
  • 4 tsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) Gochujang comes in varying levels of heat, mild, med, hot-picked the one you like
  • 1/2 tsp honey or more to taste
  • 1 tsp. or more gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder)
  • 1/2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp mirin
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil or more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Da Slaw

  • 1/2 small head red cabbage 1 1⁄2 lb. about 4 generous cups
  • 3 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Mirin
  • 2 tsp honey
  • S&P to taste

Da Shrimp

  • 1 lb. large shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 2 scallions sliced on the diagonal
  • Toasted sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

Grains

  • Cook 1 cup semi-pearled farro or wheat berries, rinsed, in a medium pot of boiling salted water, maintaining a simmer and stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, 20–35 minutes, depending on grain. Drain well and set aside. (Alternatively, skip the cooking and use 2 cups leftover cooked grains.)
  • I cheated, I used 10 min farro from TJ's . Feel free to sub any grain of choice, brown rice or cauliflower rice would be yummy. To enhance the farro I used my favorite dashi mix to flavor the cooking water.

Gochujang Mayo

  • Mix mayonnaise, 4 tsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), 1⁄2 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. gochugaru, 1⁄2 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, 1⁄2 tsp. mirin, 1⁄2 tsp. pure or toasted sesame oil, 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt, and several cranks of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl to combine.
    Taste and add more gochujang and gochugaru for a spicier sauce or more honey and sesame oil for a milder version.

Cabbage Slaw

  • Whisk remaining 3 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp. mirin, 2 tsp. honey, and a few pinches of salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
  • Thinly slice 1⁄2 small head of red cabbage (about 1 1⁄2 lb)(about 4 heaping cups.) Add to bowl with dressing and massage cabbage with your hands until softened and evenly coated, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

Da Shrimp

  • Spread 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, out onto a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate. Season liberally with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Return shrimp to a single layer.
  • Sprinkle cup cornstarch evenly over shrimp. Using your hands, press cornstarch into each shrimp so that they’re evenly and fully coated.
  • Heat 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Once oil is hot, reduce heat to medium-high and, using tongs, carefully arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan (you may need to work in batches and add more oil). Cook, adjusting heat if needed and turning once, until barely golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a wire rack.

Bringing It to the Table

  • Thinly slice 2 scallions; set aside for serving.
  • Divide farro among shallow bowls, top with cabbage, leaving any juices from cabbage behind, then scatter shrimp over. Finish with gochujang mayo, toasted sesame seeds, and reserved scallions. Extra mayo can be served on the side.

Notes

Do ahead: Farro can be cooked and gochujang mayo and cabbage slaw can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill separately.
Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms (Thanksgiving Favs)

Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms (Thanksgiving Favs)

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I love Thanksgiving.  Unlike other holidays that seem focused on family, Thanksgiving is a free-for-all.  We invite everyone we can think of, especially those that can’t make it home, to join the feast.  Each person brings their own family favorite to share.  We have a table filled with a cacophony of dishes, Uncle Gary’s Sweet Potatoes, Sticky Rice Stuffing, Chinese Roast Duck, Lox and crackers, Stir-fried Bok Choy, Baklava…anything goes.  It all tastes wonderful, enhanced by the lively, happy chatter of friends and family we don’t see often enough.

Reelin in the Years

The stalwarts of our Thanksgiving table include Uncle Gary’s Sweet Potatoes.  Non-negotiable to the point that Uncle Gary and Sweet Potatoes are synonymous.  Sweet potatoes, copious amounts of butter, brown sugar, topped with mini-marshmallows, what’s not to love?  Over the years Uncle Gary (yes, a real person, my cousin) has tweaked his recipe, adding pineapple, boooze, marshmallow cream, only to be met with a chorus of “it’s good BUT not as good as your regular sweet potatoes. Why mess with perfection?

The other must-have is the Chinese American contribution to Thanksgiving, Gnaw Mai Fan, or Sweet Rice Stuffing.  A mixture of glutinous rice (sweet rice), bits of Chinese sausage (lop Cheung), mushrooms, green onions, dried shrimp (umami bomb), bbq pork, and roasted chestnuts is now in vogue, the gluten-free option to classic bread stuffing.

Confession Time

Ok, I have a confession.  I am the maker of the Gnaw Mai Fan or Sweet Rice Stuffing that graces our feast every year, but I LOVE traditional bread stuffing.  Yep, I’m a stuffing girl.  After making the VAT of Sweet Rice Stuffing for everyone else, I use to pull out the teeny box of Stove Top stuffing in the pantry to whip up for me.

Fortunately, those days are over.  A savory bread pudding with mushrooms from Epicurious satisfies my stuffing craving.  Filled with onions, peppers, ‘shrooms, croutons and bound by eggs and cream, it is deliciously decadent.  Make sure to toast the bread, it makes a difference.  Use a French batard that has a nice crust and a fairly tight, soft crumb.  For an extra rich, creamy version, use Challah or Brioche.  Substitute leeks for some or all of the onions for another yummy tweak.

Pros– lots of veggies, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, onions, moist, scrumptious, adaptable,

Cons-lots of eggs, heavy cream and butter, and cheese, but hey, it’s a holiday!

I do tweak the recipe just a touch. Use half and half in place of at least half of the heavy cream.  You could probably reduce this further by using chicken stock for part of the half and half too.  I also substitute olive oil for half of the butter used to saute the veggies. The recipe is below.

It’s All About the Pies

I know how Gary feels, typecast for Thanksgiving, not being given the option to bring something different for the feast.  It is ASSUMED we will bring pies.  Lucky I love to bake, as does Jamie.  The pie parade includes traditional Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie, Tartine’s Lemon Cream Tart and a gorgeous Cranberry Curd Tart.  Choice and color to the dessert table.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese

Decadent, savory bread pudding with mushrooms, peppers, onions and cheese held together by a rich creamy egg custard.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Savory Bread Pudding with mushrooms
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

The Dry

  • 1 1-pound loaf crusty country-style white bread (A Frence Batard preferred over Ciabatta which has bigger holes)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 large garlic clove minced

The Stuff

  • 6 tablespoons 3/4 stick butter Can use half butter, half olive oil
  • 1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion can replace half to all of onions with leeks
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
  • 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper use any color bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (Italian flat leaf parsley)

The Wet

  • 3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream substitute half and half for 50% of cream,
  • 8 large eggs yes, 8
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

The Bread

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed).
  • Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.

The Veggies

  • Melt butter/olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and parsley to bread cubes.

The Binder

  • Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer to prepared dish. Let sit for min. of 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over. DO AHEAD Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.

Notes

This rich, custard-like stuffing is also a great main-course option for vegetarians.

 
Stir-Fried Pork Belly and Bean Sprouts

Stir-Fried Pork Belly and Bean Sprouts

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I created 3jamigos to chronicle our family’s food adventures, recipes, and stories, with my kids in mind.  Back in my college days, I often called home to ask my dad how to make homestyle Cantonese dishes I grew up eating.  Dishes like fuzzy melon soup, congee, and steamed pork patty, were the connection to my family, a sure-fire remedy to my homesickness.  Things have come full circle, I’m now on the receiving end of the “how do you make…?”.  When I come across a dish that is simple and delicious, and I think the kids would like this, I make a mental note to put it on 3jamigos.

Soul Food

The OG meal to cure homesickness! Corn Soup, stir-fried anything green, Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Eggs and Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage, and Mushrooms.

Soul food and comfort food for my family starts with Cantonese food (Roots, baby) but extends to other Asian cuisines.  You are just as likely to find Bulgogi, Japchae, and Teriyaki on our dinner table.  My latest find, is a cookbook that speaks to the melting pot we are, A Common Table by Cynthia McTernan.  Absolutely one of my favorites. It’s beautifully written, gorgeously photographed and contains delicious user-friendly recipes.

Along with Tofu Soup, this quick and easy, Stir-Fried Pork Belly with Bean Sprouts has become a family favorite.   Adapted from Korean Bapsang, it is a quick meal on a busy weeknight.  A couple of minutes of prepping and cooking is all it takes.  Before you know it you’ll be sitting down to a bowl of steaming hot rice topped with a generous scoop of yummy pork and sprouts…yep, bowl food is soul food.

Check It Out Now-Sprout Soul Sistah

Slivers of pork belly stir-fried with bean sprouts, onions, and scallions.  Seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce, it’s delicious and simple to make.  Frying the pork in sesame oil and adding fresh Thai chili pepper slices to the dish, my contribution.  Use thinly sliced pork butt or shoulder instead of pork belly if you like. Thinly sliced beef is also an option.  IN A PINCH, use regular thick-sliced bacon.  This would add that characteristic smoky flavor of bacon, which would be okay in my book 😉.

Sprouts

The only thing you need to know about the bean sprouts for this recipe…don’t overcook them!  Keep them crunchy!  That’s it, folks.  Make sure you pick sprouts that are white and shiny, with a nice yellow tip.  I also threw in a thinly sliced, de-seeded Serrano or Thai pepper, for a little spice.

Enjoy!

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Stir-fried pork belly and bean sprouts-Samgyupsal sukju bokkeum

A quick and easy stir fry of pork belly and bean sprouts.
Course Meat, One dish meals, Vegetable
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword Pork Belly
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces thinly sliced/shaved pork belly or other thinly sliced pork or beef
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 10 ounces bean sprouts
  • 1/4 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 -3 plump garlic cloves
  • 2-3 scallions or 2 ounces garlic chives cut into 1 inch segments, if they are large, cut in half lengthwise first
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or oyster sauce Use 1 T of each
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 fresh red chili pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly

Instructions

  • If you are using pork belly, cut each slice into 1 inch segments, for other meats thinly sliced into bite sized pieces
  • Give the bean sprouts a quick rinse, and drain. Thinly slice the onion, and cut the scallions (or garlic chives) into 2-inch pieces.
  • Heat a large pan over high heat. Add the sesame oil to the pan and then the pork, stir-fry quickly until no longer pink.
  • Add the onion and stir fry briefly 30 seconds. Add bean sprouts chili pepper (if using) and scallions, continue to stir fry until the bean sprouts have wilted slightly but are still crunchy.
  • Add the soy sauce and/or oyster sauce, garlic, sugar and pepper to taste. Stir-fry quickly. Season with salt to taste if necessary. Serve with a big bowl of rice (although this would go well with noods too). Enjoy!

Notes

You can find a variety of extra thin cut meats in your local Korean/Asian markets.
If you want to thinly slice the meat yourself, freeze the meat until it's firm, but still sliceable. With a sharp knife, slice the meat as thin as you can.
Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Pork Belly) Skin in the Game ブタの角煮

Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Pork Belly) Skin in the Game ブタの角煮

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Bowl + Spoon = Soul Food

My favorite equation, like Eat = MC(squared), which, in my book, stands for M-meat, C-Cooked & Crazy delish.  After trying several Chinese pork belly recipes I switched gears and made Japanese style braised pork belly, Buta no Kakuni.  Pork belly simmmered in a soy sauce-sugar mixture until the pork is meltingly tender and suffused with a sweet-salty flavor.

One of our frequent stops pre-Covid was a Ramen joint in Saratoga called Kahoo (sadly gone).  While the rest of the fam ordered bowls of delicious ramen and Karaage (fried chicken), I would order their Buta no Kakuni and a bowl of rice.  The pork was soft, unctuous, and tender. It literally jiggled when the pork is placed on the table.  A soft boiled egg sits, nestled in the pork, and ups the richness and decadence of the dish.  I would spoon the pork with some of the sauce on the rice and break the soft-cooked egg over the top so it oozed over pork and rice, it’s divine.  Finish with a side of greens like bok choy or broccoli (gotta have something healthy in the bowl) and this is a bowl made in heaven.

The Lowdown

Start with a slab of pork belly with the skin on.  Yep, skin on.  Pork belly with skin can be found in most Asian Markets.  The skin is Ah-mazing.  The braising turns the pork skin into this silky smooth, melt-in-your-mouth layer striated with flavor-infused meat. If pork belly was a dance it would be the perfect tango.  Splurge, look for pork belly with skin.  Not gonna lie, this is dish is not on the New Year’s resolution list so enjoy in moderation.  The dish is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.  Drizzle the sauce over the pork and rice and pair it with lots of greens.  You can also use Boston Butt or shoulder, which would still be delicious, just not porkfect.

Instantly Easier

Pull out your Instant Pot for this dish (adapted from Sylvia Wakana).   The pressure cooker shortens the cooking time and simplifies the process a little.  Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2 inch chunks, brown them in your IP, add water, ginger, scallion and shiitake mushrooms (optional) seal the pot, set the cooking time 35 minutes, and let the pot do its thing.  I add dried shiitake mushrooms just for a bit more umami, you could use dried anchovies or bit of dashi instead). Release the pressure at Drain pork and remove aromatics.  Rinse the pork and place it back into the cleaned Instant Pot bowl.  Add sauce ingredients, seal and set for another 10-15 minutes depending on size of pieces.

I like to make Buta no Kakuni in advance so I can stick it in the fridge and chill it.  When it is time to eat, I skim off the fat that has now congealed (making it easy to remove), throw a couple of ramen style eggs into the pot, and reheat the pork.  The flavors have saturated the pork, you have skimmed the fat to make it a bit healthier…win, win, time to enjoy!

Garnish with slivers of green onions, sesame seeds and a dash of Shichimi (Japanese Chili powder) for a little kick.  I have been sprinkling Momofuku Spicy Salt to finish my dishes, pretty yummy!

This is blustery weather, stay inside, curled up on the couch food. Enjoy.

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Instant Pot Buta no Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly)

Buta no Kakuni, Japanese Braised Pork Belly made in an Instant Pot. Tender and delicious chunks of pork in a sweet-salty sauce. Served over rice is down home Asian Soul food..
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword buta no kakuni, Instant Pot, japanese, Pork Belly, Rice Bowl
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs pork belly skin on cut into 1-1/2 to 2 inch cubes
  • 3 green onions washed and crushed with flat part of knife to release flavor
  • 1 inch ginger peeled and sliced
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms Shhhh, don't tell my mom, I don't soak them beforehand, I just throw them in the pot.
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • water for cooking the pork belly
  • Sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup sake
  • 1/2 cup mirin
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 soft or hard boiled eggs just cooked enough so you can peel each egg. yolk should be runny
  • green onions diced for garnish

Instructions

  • Prep ingredients: Cut pork belly into 2" x 2" cubes (or as close to that as you can get depending on the type of pork belly you have).
  • Press the "Sauté" function on your Instant Pot and set to high (or "More"). Heat the oil and sear the pork belly a little bit to render some of the fat from the pork belly.
  • Drain fat that has rendered out, pour enough water into the pot to cover the pork belly. Add in sliced ginger, green onions and shiitake mushrooms.
  • Cover and lock the lid. Press the "Cancel" button to stop the sauté. Press "Manual" to use the pressure cooker function. Set cook time to 35 minutes.
  • When it is finished, carefully move steam handle to the venting position to let out the steam until the float valve drops. Once depressurized, remove the lid carefully. Pour contents into a strainer/colander to drain the water. Discard aromatics. Rinse the pork belly under warm water.
  • Put the pork belly back into the Instant Pot and add the sauce ingredients. Press the "Sauté" function and set it to "More." Stir the pork and sauce mixture to combine, bring to a simmer for a minute (just enough to burn off the alcohol). Press "Cancel" to stop the sauté. Cover and lock the lid. Press "Manual" and set the cooking time for 10-15 minutes depending on size of pieces.
  • When it's finished cooking, carefully push the steam release handle to the venting position to let out the steam until the float valve drops (you can also let the pressure release naturally). Once depressurized, remove the lid carefully.
  • Press the "Sauté" and put it on "Less" (or low) to bring to a low simmer. Add in your soft or hardboiled eggs. Simmer until sauce is reduced slightly (couple of minutes).
  • Place 2-4 pieces of the pork on top of a bed of rice, drizzle generously with sauce. Garnish green onions. Split egg in half and place along side pork. Serve with greens of choice, bok choy, cabbage, your choice.

Notes

If you make this ahead of time, chill pork and skim off the fat before reheating.  I know it makes me feel better!  Place eggs in the pork & sauce to absorb some of the flavor from the braising liquid.  Take them out to skim the fat and add them back in when reheating.
Grilled Shrimp & Skirt Steak-Surf and Turf Time!

Grilled Shrimp & Skirt Steak-Surf and Turf Time!

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The one consolation to the pandemic for us (which goes to show just how fortunate and entitled we are), my kids came home at various times for extended stays.  I’ll admit, having been empty-nesters for awhile, it took some adjusting but it was nice.  Despite finding ourselves falling back into the “parent-child” trap, conversations were much more introspective for all of us.

Surf and Turf

Dinner the night before the last J moved back to the City was a family favorite we haven’t done in quite awhile, a variation of Surf and Turf.  Grilled Rosemary Garlic Shrimp and Hoisin BBQ Skirt Steak.  Both are simple to make and delicious.

So the surf and turf started with skirt steak grilled on the bbq.  It’s so stupid easy I’ll just include the recipe here.  It is a one to one mixture of Hoisin Sauce and your favorite barbecue sauce.  Slather it all over the meat and allow to marinade for a couple of hours. That’s it.  You can pump it up with minced garlic and a bit of soy sauce if you like. Throw it on the barbie and grill to medium rare, done.  You could use Flat Iron, or Flank Steak (texture is pretty different though). Be forewarned, skirt steak is no longer an “economical” cut, yikes!

Shrimp Primer

In Asian cookery, leaving the shrimp shells on when cooking is a given.  My dad always told me to buy shrimp with the shells on, they taste fresher and more flavorful.  The shells seem to absorb the seasonings.  The way to eat them is to suck all the flavor off the shell-on shrimp and then peel the shrimp and eat it.  With deep-fried shrimp, you can actually eat the shells, it’s crispy, crunchy and delicious.  A favorite dish my dad would make, don’t chuckle, Ketchup Shrimp.  It’s roots are Cantonese. Shell on shrimp are stir-fried with aromatics like ginger and garlic and finished with Ketchup.  The flavor profile is sweet, salty, a hint of tart and it is quick and easy. I can remember happily munching on the shells, yums.  I bet these could be thrown on the grill too.

This grilled shrimp recipe is from Epicurious by way of the sadly defunct Gourmet magazine.  It’s been a favorite in our house for a long time, I think it will become a favorite in yours too.  

I deveined and removed the legs from the shrimp, leaving the shell and tail intact. The garlic is chopped and mashed with coarse salt and added to olive oil along with minced rosemary.  Please try to use fresh rosemary, its so fragrant or substitute fresh herb of choice like oregano, thyme, lemon zest and smoked paprika.

Allow the shrimp to marinade for 4-6 hours.  The beauty of this dish, you can make it year-around!  In the summer, throw it on the barbecue.  In the winter, like NOW, I use a stove top pan and grill 3-4 minutes a side until the shrimp turns color.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Good and easy.

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GRILLED ROSEMARY GARLIC SHRIMP

Delicious and easy recipe for grilled shrimp
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic, Grilled shrimp, rosemary
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish
  • 16 shrimp about 10-16 per pound jumbo or large
  • lemon wedges as an accompaniment
  • 3 tbsp olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp

Instructions

  • In a large bowl stir together garlic, minced rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.
  • To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer and brush with additional oil. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about 5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.
  • Alternatively, grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
  • Garnish shrimp with rosemary sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

If grilling outdoors, thread shrimp on skewers. The original recipe calls for putting shrimp on skewers, that's too much work for me!
Substitute herbs- use oregano or thyme, smoked paprika, 
For an Asian flavor profile mince garlic and ginger and add basil or cilantro.

Enjoy!
Red Cooked Pork 红烧猪肉, Sweet Relief

Red Cooked Pork 红烧猪肉, Sweet Relief

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This post has been sitting on the back burner for a while, the majority of the time because I kept tinkering with the recipe.  The other reason for its relegation, Jamie and I have been on a tear baking cookies and desserts for the holidays.  It was time to circle back to this post-take a breather from all things sweet.  So here it is, a post on one of my favorite dishes, Red Cooked Pork

I grew up eating Chinese food 5-6 days a week.  Every meal more often than not featured pork.  Ground pork was steamed into a delicious patty with salted egg or simmered in soups.  Slices of pork were stir-fried with greens or with tofu and brown bean sauce for a quick meal.  Every Chinatown deli strategically displays a whole pig, slow-roasted to perfection, it’s amazing-crunchy, crackly skin and succulent, juicy, tender meat enticing shoppers into the store.  It goes toe to toe with any southern barbecued pork.  I make my own Crispy Roasted Pork, it’s not hard and not to worry, you don’t have to roast an entire pig! Yes, pork is king in Chinese cuisine.

Why pork?

The pragmatic, economical choice.  Pigs eat almost anything and don’t require grazing land, important in an agrarian society like China.  Pork can be steamed, boiled, baked, braised, fried, roasted-probably the only thing we don’t do is make it into ice cream-not surprising for lactose intolerant Asians.  Almost every part of the pig is used or consumed.  Ears, feet, snout, are pickled, braised, or fried.  The fat is turned into lard, the blood is congealed and eaten…you get the picture.

And the obvious answer, it’s DELICIOUS.

I am hooked on Chinese Red Cooked Pork which uses pork belly.  Now, don’t go Ewww, what do you think bacon is?  Yep, thin slices of pork belly given a nifty name so jillions of people will eat it.  Asian dishes often use pork belly in uncut slabs, in thick slices, cubed or diced.  Red Cooked Pork is a classic dish, every Sichuan family passes down grandma’s recipe for Red Cooked Pork or 红烧猪肉.  My go-to recipe comes from a favorite cookbook, A Common Table.

The easiest place to find pork belly is at your local Asian markets.  In particular, Chinese markets carry ALL things pork.  The pork belly is butchered into thick slabs-with or without skin, or into thin, medium, thick, or super thick slices.  Korean markets also offer a variety of pork belly cuts to grill, stir-fry, or braise.

I could be wrong but there really isn’t a Cantonese version of Red Cooked Pork.  Versions of red-cooked pork can be found in  Sichuan,  Shanghai, and Hunan where Chairman Mao’s Red Cooked Pork with chili peppers and aromatics is iconic.

The Tinkering Begins

If I am making Red Cooked Pork for buns (bao) to be eaten like a sandwich, I use the wide thick slices.  For rice bowls and noodle bowls, I like cubed or diced pork belly.  Either way, the KEY is long, slow cooking.  You can’t cut corners or the meat will not be meltingly tender.  Keep vigil over the braising liquid, adding water if needed.  There is a point where the meat will seem tender but dry and paradoxically you need to cook it longer to breakdown the fibers so the meat gives up and becomes this oozy delicious bite. That is pork-fection.

I’m not a big star anise fan, so I only use 1-star anise and add a cinnamon stick in place of additional star anise.  Feel free to play with the amounts.  The recipe calls for granulated or raw sugar, I prefer rock sugar.  I searched for an equivalence and all I found is a one-inch piece of rock sugar is approximately 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Crushed into smaller pieces, that 1 inch chunk was about 1.5 tablespoons of rock sugar.

Caramelize the pork in the sugar water mixture.  Add aromatics, soy sauces, water, and braise for 1.5 to 2 hours until pork is tender.

Serve over rice and with greens such as poached lettuce or bok choy.

Red Cooked Pork Belly, Sesame Slaw, and Gochujang Mayo for my Asian version of a BLT Burger.  How did I not win our annual burger cook-off?

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5 from 1 vote

Red Cooked Pork adapted from A Common Table

Iconic Chinese Dish, Red Cooked Pork is pork belly slowly braised in soy sauce, sugar and aromatics until meltingly tender. Delicious over rice or in bao.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword braised, Chinese, easy recipe, Pork Belly, red cook pork
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork belly or pork shoulder cut in 3/4- to 1-inch (2- to 2.5-cm) chunks
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute rock sugar 3 tablespoons (50-75 gms) or to taste
  • 2 tbsp water to caramelize sugar
  • 2-3 cups water for braising liquid
  • 3 to 4 scallions cut on the diagonal into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths (about 1/4 cup sliced)
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves smashed, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 inch piece ginger root sliced into 6 to 8 circles
  • 1 whole star anise 0-3 pods, your choice
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine dry sherry, or sake
  • 3 tablespoons light or thin regular soy sauce 生抽, NOT low sodium
  • 3 to 4 teaspoons dark soy sauce 老抽

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and gently boil for about 10 minutes, skimming off any scum as it forms on top of the water. Drain the pork and rinse to remove any remaining scum.
  • In a large wok or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water and stir until it dissolves. Tilt the wok or skillet to swirl the mixture, without stirring, just until it bubbles and begins to turn slightly darker in certain spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure to watch it carefully so that the sugar doesn’t burn as the sugar can turn from brown to black in seconds.
  • Add the pork and cook it with the caramelized sugar, stirring frequently, until the pork is browned and smells fragrant, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, star anise and cinnamon, toss for 1 to 2 minutes to give the aromatics a quick cook. Add the rice wine, both soy sauces, and enough water to cover the pork, about 2 to 3 cups. Stir to combine and then cover and ever-so-gently simmer the pork over low heat until tender for approximately 2 hours. Stir every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent scorching and to make sure there is still enough liquid. Add water if the level gets too low.
  • Once the pork is tender, take a look at the cooking liquid. If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer the pork to a plate, return the heat to medium-high, and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce reduces to the desired consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to reduce the sauce too far as you’re going to want enough sauce to go over the pork and rice. Taste the sauce and, if desired, adjust with more soy sauce or sugar. Spoon the pork and sauce over rice.
  • Serve over rice. Place pork on top of rice and drizzle a small bit of sauce over the cubes.

Pork Buns

  • Cut pork belly into 1-4 to 1/2-inch thick slices approximately 2-2.5 inches in width instead of cubes. Proceed with braising instructions.
  • Serve sliced pork with steamed Chinese buns. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.
Instant Pot Meets Ragu’ Sauce-A Meat Cute?

Instant Pot Meets Ragu’ Sauce-A Meat Cute?

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In these tenuous times, I find myself making comfort food-homey dishes that surround your soul like a warm blanket.  One of my family’s all-time favorites is a long, slow-simmered ragu’ spooned over a bowl of pasta.  This usually requires a little forethought, prepping the ingredients, followed by hours of simmering on the stove.  Yes, it is so worth it but…

Well, whaddya know, I can make a rich, luxurious, delicious ragu’ in a fraction of the time with an Instant Pot.  I adapted a recipe I found on Chunky Chef and badabing-badaboom, a meat sauce that would win the approval of the Old Stoves in North Beach. Yay, I don’t have to start the sauce in the wee hours of the morning.

Winner, Winner, Pasta for Dinner

A ragu’ is essentially a meat sauce, this version is best described as a Ragu Alla Bolognese since it includes tomatoes.  Purists probably would omit the seasonings and require only meat and sofrito (onion, celery and carrot trinity) for the sauce. I like the flavor boosters.  You can add a bay leaf too if you like. DON’T ASK ME WHY.  I googled in vain for a definitive description of the flavor a bay leaf adds, you’ll just have to trust me.  Just remember to remove it at the end, along with the thyme sprigs.

No Mincing Here

The Instant Pot isn’t the only time saver.  Prep for the onions, carrots, and celery means pulling out your food processor.  This makes quick work of mincing the veggies.  Really, who wants to stand there chopping veggies into itty bitty pieces for a sauce.  Not me.  Yep, dust off that food processor and put it to work.  I also use it to puree the tomatoes.  Don’t wash it out after the veggies, just run the tomatoes by pulsing a couple of times and add.

Mantra:  Scrape the Bottom of Your Pot

Saute’ the meats and the soffritto making sure to scrape the bottom of the instant pot A LOT.  Twofold purpose:  One-Those little brown bits are flavor bombs so you want to keep them. Two-If left on the bottom of the pot, they will trigger the scorch-safety feature on the pot and turn OFF.  Ugh.  Make SCRAPE your mantra any time you saute’ in the Instant Pot.

Other than that, it’s pretty straightforward.  The sauce needs only 20 minutes (well, with pressure up time count on 30-35 minutes).  In about an hour you will be at the table saucing your pasta, passing the Parmesan, and enjoying a nice bottle of  Chianti (no fava beans please). Nom, nom, nom.

After adding the cream and basil you will have the voluptuous, unctuous sauce. Yes, I had to spell check both words.  Perfect on a bowl of pappardelle or tagliatelle or plate of ravioli.  Just dreaming of the pastabilities.

On a recent jaunt into the City, I headed to my favorite Italian Deli in the Marina, Lucca, to grab a meatball sammie for lunch. I also stocked up on their housemade ravioli and gnocchi from their freezer.  I came away with mushroom gnocchi and veal ravioli that were PERFECT with this ragu’.  The sauce and pasta freeze beautifully so a quick dinner is always at hand.

Lucca has been a favorite stop for a long, long time.  As a kid, I would get a sammie and chips before walking down to Hunt’s for an Icee and donut.  Those were the days.

All smiles digging into my bowl of mushroom gnocchi topped with amazingly quick to make Ragu’.

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Instant Pot Ragu Bolognese Sauce

A delicious ragu made in your pressure cooker that taste like it has simmered all day!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword Instant Pot, pasta, Ragu'
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef I use 85/15
  • 1/2 lb. Italian sausage mild or spicy or use ground pork
  • 4 oz pancetta diced Feeling lazy? TJ's carries diced pancetta in a 4 oz package!
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and minced
  • 1 stalk celery minced
  • 7 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine Ok, in a pinch you could use white wine
  • 28 oz whole tomatoes pureed
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup beef broth - reduced sodium preferred or the mushroom soaking liquid
  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped Soaked in 3/4 cup warm water until soft,
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes omit if using spicy Italian Sausage
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup whole milk or BUTTER a good chunk
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or more if you like basil, use additional to sprinkle on top of dish
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese at the table

Instructions

  • Use the "Saute" function on Instant Pot. Add olive oil to the pot. Add the beef, Italian sausage, and pancetta and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. Drain the liquid into a bowl, leaving the meat mixture in the pot, skim off the oil and reserve. Return it to pot when the tomatoes and broth are added. It's all flavor babee.
  • Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 4 more minutes, or until softened. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as the onions and peppers cook and give off liquid, this will prevent scorching and the auto-shut off feature.
  • Add garlic and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add red wine and cook, stirring often, until reduced, about 2 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients, except basil, fresh parsley and cream. Stir, once again scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure no browned bits remain.
  • Cancel the saute, and place lid on Instant Pot, making sure the valve is set to "SEALING", DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO, lol. Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for 20 minutes.
  • Once the timer beeps, use quick pressure release and vent. When the pin drops, remove lid. Remember, ITS HOT so be careful.
  • Select "saute" and select LOW. Stir in heavy cream or milk, parsley and basil. Simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until desired consistency is reached, about 5 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve over pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and additional chopped basil if desired.

Notes

  • Make sure you scrape the bottom of your Instant Pot while sauteing FREQUENTLY! If any particles are stuck on the bottom the pot will turn off to prevent burning.
  • You can omit the mushrooms, I like the earthiness it adds. Substitute the mushroom soaking liquid for beef broth if desired. Or for the double whammy, heat the beef broth and use it as the soaking liquid for the mushrooms.
  • If you do not want to add dairy, drop a hunk of unsalted butter (4-5 T) into the sauce. The cream or milk is added to cut the acidity of the tomatoes and mellow the sauce, the butter kind of does the same.
  • I love this sauce over rigatoni or pappardelle. Also on gnocchi, it is divine!
Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, Knighted by King Arthur… Flour That Is

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, Knighted by King Arthur… Flour That Is

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In this topsy turvy year, where flour has been in short supply since the COVID crisis, King Arthur Flour selected a pizza as their recipe of the year.  It’s easy to make with the caveat it does require a good amount of time, so plan in advance.  But it is so worth the time, it’s delicious.  

Years of pizza filled kids’ events-birthday parties, sports parties, playdates at Chuckie Cheese, and school functions, have left me with an aversion to pizza.  But the kids have grown up, no more bad pizza, only pizza by choice, my choice.  

During quarantine, our daily routine always includes someone asking, what’s for lunch?  To which Wes has lately been replying, how about pizza?  A couple of friends have raved about King Arthur’s 2020 recipe, Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza which meant, pizza time baby.

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza-Doing the Happy Dance

If you haven’t ever made your own bread, this is a great place to start.  This is one of those insanely popular, deservedly so, no-knead bread recipes.  Zero intimidation, a little bit of folding and lots of raves at the end, yep, it’s a keeper. The extended rest time gives rise (lol) to a crispy, airy, yummy crust.  The center is soft and pillowy and as you move to the perimeter it takes on a nice crunch.  

I’m sure the flour shortage during the time of COVID was pushed to new heights with this recipe. I used a 00 flour from Central Milling, I was out of KA AP flour.  You could sub bread flour by Gold Medal of Pillsbury as the protein content is a little higher and closer to King Arthur AP flour.  You make the dough, let it rest overnight in the fridge before putting on the final touches, TOPPINGS and then baking.

So a day later, take the dough out of the fridge and  smoosh it into a cast-iron skillet, I used my Staub pan or a 9-inch cake pan would work too.  But, keep in mind a heavy bottom skillet, especially cast-iron, enhances the crispiness.

Toppings

The King Arthur Flour recipe is all about the crust, no toppings so I went in search of a BOSS tomato sauce for the pizza.  First and last stop, Serious Eats.  New York Style Pizza Sauce, easy, tasty, a little spicy, a little sweet, a touch of basil, onion, and oregano, the perfect match.  Then the killer, butter is added to the sauce, which accentuates the crust.  OMGoodness, make this pizza.

Toppings are whatever your heart desires.  Our usual includes sausage and the triple-play of mushrooms, onions, and peppers.  Pre-cook toppings first.  My latest kick is adding arugula or micro-greens to the finished pizza.

Let me reiterate…Make this pizza, SOON.

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Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza

King Arthur Flour 2020 Recipe of the Year Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword Crispy Cheese Pan Pizza
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 1 day
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Cast-iron skillet or heavy bottom pan

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 240g I used 00 flour from Central MIlling
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water 170g
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 13g
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan 18g

Toppings

  • 6 ounces mozzarella, grated about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed* 170g
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce or pizza sauce 74g to 113g homemade or storebought
  • freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top after baking optional
  • handful of fresh greens like arugula optional
  • toppings of choice

Tomato Sauce from Serious Eats

    Instructions

    • Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. I really like using a scale.  Place the flour, salt, yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon (13g) of the olive oil in a medium-large mixing bowl.
    • Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour, about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.
    • After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90° each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a fold.
    • Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.
    • Refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor.
    • About 3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prep pan. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10” to 11” diameter across the top, and about 9” across the bottom. Heavy, dark cast iron will give you a superb crust; but if you don’t have it, use another oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet of similar size, or a 10” round cake pan or 9” square pan. Tilt the pan to spread the oil across the bottom, use a brush to spread some oil up the edges, as well.  
    • Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time. 
    • Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
    • About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element). Preheat the oven to 450°F.
    • When you’re ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust completely for those crispy, caramelized edges. Spread small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese. The first cheese layer helps prevent sogginess from the sauce. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.
    • Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom's not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes. Home ovens can vary a lot, so use the visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.
    • Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool a little then transfer to a cooling rack or cutting surface. No soggy crusts.

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    New York-Style Pizza Sauce

    Perfect sauce for King Arthur Crispy Chessy Pan Pizza
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian-American
    Keyword New York Style Pizza Sauce
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour

    Equipment

    • Food mill, food processor, or hand blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 medium cloves garlic grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Pinch red pepper flakes
    • Kosher salt to taste
    • 2 6-inch sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
    • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and split in half
    • 1 teaspoon sugar

    Instructions

    • Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes.
    • Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour.
    • Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Notes

    The sauce makes enough for 2 12 inch pizzas so you will have plenty.  Keep the onion, don't discard it.  This sauce would probably work over some pasta too, with that onion!