Looking for something sweet and salty to round out a cheese board for a weekday meeting, I thought of the Bloody Mary I had at a happy hour in Minneapolis with Jamie. I don’t remember much about the Bloody Mary but the CANDIED BACON swizzle stick that served as a stirrer and edible garnish was delicious.
Candied bacon would be perfect for my cheese board but in bite-size pieces to go along with the cheese and crackers. In its simplest form, coat thick cut bacon pieces with brown sugar and bake, but no one leaves well enough alone. For this batch, I used brown sugar and chili powder. Next time I might use cayenne for spice, or smoked paprika for smokiness, chili pepper or black pepper…really whatever you like. Another riff, combine Siracha Sauce and brown sugar, coat the bacon with the sauce and bake as directed.
Note: Line the pan with foil before placing the metal rack on the pan for the bacon. You only need to spread the brown sugar and spices on one side.
20 minutes later-ta-da, candied bacon for breakfast, drinks, happy hour munchies, salads…anything and everything is better with bacon.
Gung hay fat choy! Happy Lunar New Year! This is the Year of the Pig and in celebration of this, I spent the last week in Hong Kong with my boys-PIGGIN’ out. It has been years since I have been in Hong Kong and with Jordan living in nearby Korea, we decided a rendezvous was in order.
I walked off the plane and took a deep breath and instantly knew I was back in Asia. The scent that wafted through the air and surrounded me immediately transported me back to my first visit to Hong Kong so many years ago. An amalgam of daily life, food, incense, years of humanity all rolled into one.
Before I regale you with our travels in Hong Kong…let me tell you about our flight. It’s been a while since I have been on a flight that lasts 14 hours. AUUUGH! I don’t care if you are in First Class, Business, or Economy…it’s a LONG time to be cooped up in a plane. I did manage to catch 40 winks, watch a couple of movies, and pick through multiple cafeteria-like meals. The highlight was a bowl of instant ramen on the last leg of our journey. By then even the K-Movie I was watching knew how I felt.
One of the meal selections was Three Cup Chicken. I knew of this classic Taiwanese dish but have never had it. This peaked my curiosity so I made a mental note to try this dish when I got home.
A day of vegging out to get over my jet lag and I was ready to hunt down the recipe for Three Cup Chicken. The first thing I noticed was, though called 3 cup chicken, most recipes did not use those proportions. Thank goodness since that is a lot of sesame oil.
I decided on a mash-up from two of my go-to blogs, The Woks of Life and No Recipes. You can use bone-in pieces like chicken wings but the next time I think I will try boneless thighs. This dish is easy to prepare and lands on the dinner table in minutes…my kind of dish.
The soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine form the braising liquid but the addition of garlic, ginger and Thai basil really sets this dish apart. No wonder it’s a classic that has stood the test of time. One recipe called for a touch of sugar, sounded good, so I included it. If you like spice, throw in 1-2 Thai chili peppers for good measure.
The aromatics are heated in oil before adding the chicken. Brown the chicken and add the braising sauce. Simmer, turning the pieces occasionally. The sauce will reduce and coat the chicken creating a deep caramel color. Can you say yum? Finish with the basil and green onions. Be generous with your basil it adds a ton of flavor to the dish.
The chicken is browned in the ginger, garlic infused oil.Isn’t that a lovely color? Serve with steamed rice and veggies. The perfect meal.So delicious. Don’t tell Cathay Pacific, but this version of 3 Cup Chicken is so much better than theirs!
I am a sucker for rice bowls and noodle soups, especially when the weather turns cold and dreary. There is something comforting about eating out of a bowl. I love sitting by the window watching the falling rain and listening to the blustering wind while holding a bowl of deliciousness. My Dad’s stew, my Mom’s won ton soup, spicy Thai curry or gooey mac and cheese all come to mind.
Yep, living life one bowl at a time.
Japanese braised pork belly, Buta Kakuni falls neatly into this scenario. Simmered in soy sauce, sake and sugar, the pork becomes so tender it melts in your mouth and has that sweet salty flavor that I love. It is rich and flavorful, so a little goes a long way. Grab a good sized bowl, add a big scoop of steamy hot rice, lay 2-3 pieces of the pork on top and drizzle the braising liquid over it. Serve with a ramen style soft boiled egg and vegetables. Yep, a bowl of rockin’ goodness.
Normally, this dish takes a couple of hours to make, but thanks to the Instantpot, you’ll be sitting down to eat in less than an hour.
This recipe is adapted from the blog Just One Cookbook, another favorite for Asian recipes. Slab pork belly can be found in most Asian markets or ask your butcher to save you a piece. If time is tight, you can forego browning the pork, but I think it does add flavor and color. Reduce the Mirin to 1/4 cup and increase the sake to 1/2 cup to cut the sweetness. The recipe calls for adding soft boiled eggs to the pork to finish cooking. Instead, cool the braising liquid and put the peeled soft boiled eggs in to seep overnight a la ramen style eggs. Love oozy runny egg yolks. Feel free to follow the recipe or try Serious Eats’s recipe for ramen eggs, both are delicious!
This is classic comfort food. I stir-fried some shredded cabbage and onions with the braising liquid as an accompaniment. Another option is a super simple Asian Cucumber Salad. The crisp cucumbers provide a nice contrast to the soft pork. Plus, it’s nice to get some veggies in for a “well-rounded” bowl.
Peel and cut ginger into slices. Using the green part only, cut scallions into 2 inch segments
Switch Instant Pot to Saute' function and add oil to pot. When the oil is hot, add pork and brown (3-5 minutes). Add water to pot to cover the pork. Add green onions and ginger to pot.
Cover Instant Pot and seal, make sure the knob is set to sealing. Cancel saute' function and set function on stew/meat (35 minutes)
When the pork is finished, carefully vent to quick release pressure. Drain pork. Add seasoning ingredients to the Instant Pot and return pork to pot. Add soft boiled eggs to pot unless seasoning them separately. See notes.
Seal and set pot on stew/meat function and set time to 10 minutes. When finished, quick release vent pot.
Remove pork and eggs from pot. Taste the seasoning liquid, if it seems to dilute, set pot on saute' and reduce. Reserve sauce for serving.
Serve pork and eggs over rice or ramen. Garnish with Shichimi Togarashi. Drizzle sauce over rice and serve with mustard. Enjoy.
Notes
If you don't have Mirin, increase Sake to 3/4 cup and add 1 tablespoon sugar. If you like a soft runny egg, do not put it in the Instant Pot to cook. Cook your eggs separately. You can cool the cooking liquid and place the peeled soft boiled eggs in the liquid to seep for a couple of hours or overnight. You do not have to seep the eggs. You can serve the eggs in your rice bowl drizzled with the cooking liquid and sprinkled with seaweed seasonings (furikake) if you want.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring the Instant Pot is Not Snoring, it’s Cooking Pot Roast
It’s chilly, it’s raining, it’s just downright dreary. How to combat this scenario?
Couch potato: Snuggle on the couch and watch a movie or read a book. What, couch too far? Ok, stay in bed with a good book and a cup of tea.
Kitchen Diva: It’s the holidays, you’re supposed to be filling the house with the aroma of butter, cinnamon, sugar and all things delicious. Let’s get ready to BBAAAKKKKEEEEE.
Outdoor Warrior: Put on those stomping boots and raingear and hit those puddles!
Ok, I’m only feeling Option 1 or 2.
So, I decided on doing a combo, I spent the day baking cookies, cruising the internet and watching Netflix. Right around 5pm my stomach grumbled and sent a signal to my brain “what’s for dinner?”
Here is the criteria for today’s dinner: it should be easy to make, comforting and of course delicious. I pull out my Instant Pot, check off easy. Take out the chuck roast I had bought the day before, check off comforting. Rummage through my crisper and pantry and pull out onions, carrots, potatoes, check off delicious.
Yep, pot roast on a rainy, dreary day…sounds like a plan, Stan. Sitting down at 6:30 to dinner. Yahoo, thanks Instant Pot.
What’s better than pot roast for dinner? Pot roast the next day!
Decide at 5pm to have Pot Roast for dinner. I know, what am I thinking? Pull out the Instant Pot and damn, by 6:30 I'm sitting down to a delicious bowl of meltingly tender chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes over steaming hot white rice. Adapted from Damn Delicious.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
13-pound chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
1 1/2tablespoonscanola oil
1yellow onionchopped
3clovesgarlicminced
2tablespoonstomato paste
1/4cupdry red wine
3cupsbeef stock
2teaspoonsWorcestershire sauce
4sprigs fresh thyme
1sprig fresh rosemary
2bay leaves
1 1/2poundsbaby red potatoes
4large carrotscut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1/2poundfresh assorted mushroomssliced, optional
2 1/2tablespoonscornstarch
1-2tablespoonssoy sauce or fish sauceoptional kicks up the flavor, check for saltiness before adding
Instructions
Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting.
Season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil; add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in red wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in beef stock, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. Top with beef. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 60 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
Remove beef, potatoes and carrots from the Instant Pot®; shred beef, using two forks.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water; set aside.
Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more beef stock as needed until desired consistency is reached. If using mushrooms, sauce may be a bit thin, reduce before adding cornstarch slurry.
Serve beef, potatoes and carrots with juices immediately accompanied by rice or buttered noodles or a nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
Maybe it’s a way to stay connected to my kid who is living in South Korea and teaching English. My current obsessions are K-Dramas and Korean food. I absolutely adore both. My gateway to K-dramas was Amazon (damn you-Jeff Bezos, just kidding). Suffice to say the rom-com genre is alive and well in South Korea. My favorite show is about an immortal who has been searching for his “bride”, the only person who can actually put him out of misery-I know, ironic. It’s called Goblin or Guardian.
My other obsession is Korean food. Korean cuisine is right up my alley-spicy, flavorful tofu soups, pickled vegetables-Kimchi, Korean barbecue, noodles(Japchae), dumplings (mandu), and bap (rice), the cornerstone. When I was a kid I would always unceremoniously dump my bowl of rice into my soup. I’d swish the rice around to let it absorb the flavors of the soup before eating. Now I find myself enjoying Korean Tofu Soups in the same fashion.
Then there is Korean barbecue. Beef, pork, chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sesame, and onions-grilled over charcoal giving the meat that lovely smokiness, so good.
Like Chinese meals, Korean meals are very communal. Dishes are placed in the center of the table to be shared by all. Parents select choice tidbits to place in each child’s bowl. Teens serve their grandparents. Everyone feeds the babies. Chopsticks constantly moving food from plates and bowls and finally to mouths. Eating is such a connection. For Koreans and Chinese we often greet family and friends not with hello but with “have you eaten yet?”.
Bulgogi is thin strips of beef, marinaded, grilled quickly and wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Nestled in the lettuce along with the beef, is a bite of rice, kimchi, and a dab of ssamjang (bean-chili sauce). Think tacos. So delicious. I adapted a recipe for bulgogi I found in Seoul Food Korean Cookbook(Kindle version for 4.99 right now) by Naomi Imatome-Yun.
The marinade starts with the trifecta of Korean seasonings, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame and builds on this with honey, Asian pear and scallions. So much flavor. Most Asian markets generally have pre-cut thin slices of short rib, pork, or chicken, which makes life easy. If you start with a whole piece of meat, toss it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Makes cutting thin slices a walk in the park.
It’s not always easy to find Asian pears. Use a combination of finely grated apple (Fuji or Honeycrisp are nice) and pineapple juice in place of the Asian pear. Don’t let it marinate in pineapple juice too long as it will break down the meat. Add pineapple juice no more than a couple of hours before cooking.
Red leaf, Boston, or Gem lettuce, are the perfect shape, size, and texture for a bulgogi wrap. Winner winner, bulgogi dinner-sweet, salty, garlicky, and smokey wraps and you can use your hands, just like tacos! Broke da mouth good.
Bulgogi, beef thinly and marinated in soy, garlic, and onions. Served with rice and saamjang, wrapped in lettuce. This classic Korean dish is a sure fire hit with its bold flavors.
Course Main Course, Meat
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword beef, Bulgogi, Grilled
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 5 minutesminutes
Marinade time 3 hourshours
Total Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
3tablespoonschopped garlicCHOPPED, not minced, which would be too much
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2tablespoonssugar
1tablespoonhoney
3tablespoonsgrated Asian pear include juicesubstitute any apple, fuji or honerycrisp, grated 1/2 and 1/2 pineapple juice
1tablespoonmirin substitute sake which is not sweet
1tablespoontoasted sesame oil
3scallionsfinely chopped
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1poundsirloin steakribeye or short rib, thinly sliced
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sugar, honey, pear juice, mirin, sesame oil, scallions, and pepper and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved.
Add the meat and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. For tougher cuts of meat, marinate the meat longer.
Grill the beef until well done and caramelized on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. You can also fry the beef in a cast iron pan.
Serve with rice, ssamjang and lettuce leaf. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot
Notes
TIP: Top sirloin or tenderloin work best, but almost any steak cut will do. The best quality meat will be more tender and will taste the best. Trader Joe's has thinly sliced ribeye that works well.Adapted from Imatome-Yun, Naomi. Seoul Food Korean Cookbook: Korean Cooking from Kimchi and Bibimbap to Fried Chicken and Bingsoo
Growing up, most meals included at least one seafood dish. Steamed rock cod with ginger and scallions, flounder with brown bean sauce sitting on a bed of tofu or stir-fried prawns with tomato and garlic (SOUL FOOD). My dad would finish work and then head out to the shops in Chinatown to find the fresh catch of the day. The markets carried locally caught cod, bass, or flounder kept cold on a bed of ice. My dad checked the freshness by looking at the clarity of the eyes. Sometimes he opted for live fish, crab, or shrimp from the tanks that lined the wall. He peered into each tank before selecting the one he wanted. Once satisfied with his choice he would barter with the fishmonger for a good price.
So my exposure to seafood was two extremes
Freshly caught fish steamed and flavored with ginger, green onions, and cilantro. The sauce was pure heaven, an amalgamation of liquid created from the fish juices, soy sauce, and aromatics. My brother and I fought over who could ladle the most sauce over their rice, a tradition my kids have continued.
On the flip side was Friday night frozen FISHSTICKS with catsup! Date night for the folks meant dinner in front of the TV for my brother, my cousins and me. I hate to admit it, but from the ages of 4-10, I probably liked the fish sticks more. Silly girl.
One fish not typically part of Asian cuisine is Salmon. I discovered salmon late in the game and ironically it’s the fish we prepare at home now more often than any other fish. I am always on the lookout for new and different recipes for salmon. Whaddya know…from Everyday Korean Cookbook,one of my current favs (check out her site to preview a couple of recipes), I found the recipe, Roasted Salmon with Gochujang Mayo. The sauce, sweet from the mayonnaise, spicy from the Gochujang, and citrusy (is that a word?) from a squeeze of lime is pretty darn tasty. The mayo comes together in a snap. Slather it on the fish, pop it in the oven and finish it under the broiler. So easy and so delicious. It’s a keeper. The recipe calls for the Japanese mayo, Kewpie, but you can make your own with Best Foods mayo.
From the Japanese cookbook, Just One Cookbook. Kewpie imposter recipe!
For 1 cup of American mayonnaise (like Best Foods), add 2 Tbsp rice vinegar and 1 Tbsp sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. For 1 Tbsp of American mayonnaise, add 1/2 tsp rice vinegar and 1/8 tsp sugar.
That’s a WRAP
What is my favorite way to serve this salmon? Classic Korean style-bibb lettuce used as a wrap. It’s the Asian version of a taco. I put a bite of rice or noodle, bit of kimchi, morsel of salmon and dab of chili sauce in the lettuce, wrap it, and eat the whole thing in one bite. Hmmm…. Crispy cool lettuce, warm soft kernels of rice, spicy sweet salmon, salty, briny umami-packed kimchi topped with scallions, cilantro and lime. A party in my mouth, sooooo good!
Next time you need a delicious marinade for your salmon, give this one a go!
For serving: Steamed rice, kimchi or sliced cucumbers and bibb lettuce leaves
Instructions
Place 1 oven rack on the highest level of oven and a second rack below. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Line sheet pan (shallow baking sheet) with aluminum foil; lightly grease foil with cooking spray.
Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Place fillets (skin-side down) on foil-lined baking sheets; set aside.
Mix together mayonnaise, oyster sauce, gochujang, ginger or garlic, lime juice in a small bowl. Brush or spoon sauce evenly over salmon.
Place baking sheet on second rack in oven, and roast 8 minutes, until sauce sizzles and begins to brown. Heat oven to broil. Place salmon on top rack of oven, and broil on high another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet and desired doneness.
Serve with bibb lettuce, rice and garnish, if desired, with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cilantro, lime wedges, kimchi, and/or cucumber slices.
Notes
Serve with bibb lettuce, rice and garnish, if desired, with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cilanto, lime wedges, kimchi, and/or cucumber slices.
Korean bbq comes to mind when summer rolls around and barbecue gets top billing. I love Korean barbecue especially Kalbi and Bulgogi. Kalbi, cross-cut or flanken-style beef ribs, are marinated in a garlicky soy sauce mixture flavored with sesame oil, green onions, sugar to sweeten and fresh ground pepper. The ribs are marinated for at least a couple of hours before they’re thrown on the grill. Cut crosswise (genius), they cook in minutes, a good thing since the aroma the sizzling meat and marinade as it caramelizes makes me hungry. Bulgogi, thin strips of meat, marinaded in a similar manner, is cooked on the grill, wrapped in lettuce along with a bite of rice, a bit of kimchi and dollop of gochujang and then quickly STUFFED in your mouth…hot, sweet, salty, crunchy..so good. Party in my mouth.
I came across a recipe for Bulgogi Meatballs, the perfect answer to when you are craving Korean bbq but don’t have the time to marinade the meat. A combination of ground beef and pork seasoned like Bulgogi, then formed into meatballs and fried or baked is a spot-on stand-in for Korean bbq. The Bulgogi meatballs can be served by themselves with various dipping sauces, wrapped in lettuce, served with rice or made into a slider topped with cheese and kimchi. It’s simple, quick and delicious.
The recipe comes from Everyday Korean, yes, another cookbook I picked up recently. Gorgeous photos and a fusion twist caught my eye. A flatbread topped with a Gochujang Sour Cream and mozzarella will be my next foray in this book. Intriguing, different. I’ll keep you posted.
This recipe, from Everyday Korean by Kim Sunée and Seung Hee Lee, is a tasty spin on a familiar dish. Shape these into meatballs and serve with the dipping sauces along with lettuce leaves or steamed rice. Or make them into sliders to serve on toasted mini buns with grated Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and mustard.
Author Everyday Korean
Ingredients
¼cuplow-sodium soy sauce
3Tbspdark brown sugar
3Tbspminced green onion
2Tbspminced garlic
2Tbsptoasted sesame oil
2tspfish sauce
¾tspfreshly ground black pepper
¼Asian pearor Bosc or Bartlett pear, grated
1⁄3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1lbground beefpreferably chuck and short rib
1lbground pork or veal
1large egglightly beaten
Toasted sesame seedsfor garnish (optional)
Ssamjang
½cupdoenjangfermented soybean paste or miso
¼cupgochujangKorean fermented chile paste
2Tbspsesame oil
1Tbspsugar
1Tbsprice vinegar or cider vinegar
1Tbspminced garlic
1Tbspminced green onionwhite parts only
1Tbspminced jalapeño serrano chilestems and seeds removed (optional)
Soy Vinegar Dipping Sauce
¼cuplow-sodium soy sauce
¼cuprice vinegar or cider vinegar
1Tbspsugar
1Tbspfinely chopped green onion
1tspgochugaruKorean red pepper flakes, optional
1tsptoasted sesame oiloptional
Toasted sesame seedsfor garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make meatballs::
In a large bowl, mix together first 8 ingredients. Add panko, ground meats and egg; mix just until combined (do not overmix). Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Form meat mixture into 40-50 mini meatballs or about 18 slider patties; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through but still tender and moist, turning the pan halfway through cooking time.
OR
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs or patties to pan, leaving space. Cook, shaking pan occasionally until meat begins to brown on one side (~3 minutes). Gently flip over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Until just cooked thru.
Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with Ssamjang and Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce.
To make Ssamjang::
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.
To make Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, onion, and gochugaru and sesame oil, if desired. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds just before serving, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Makes about ½ cup.
My last trip to the Hankook Korean Supermarket, I took the plunge. Yep, finally bit the bullet and bought a BIG jar of Kimchi. No more little pint size containers for me. I didn’t go completely crazy and get the gallon size, although I thought about it for a fleeting moment since it was on sale, lol. I refrained and prudently bought a quart size jar.
The question running through your brain right now, which Kimchi did she buy? Am I right? Lucky for you I did the exhaustive, backbreaking, mentally draining research-so you don’t have to. I stood in the Kimchi section of HMart for an hour, watching which Kimchi customers were buying and then I repeated this at Hankook Market (much to Hubster’s chagrin). I also “interrogated” my friends and forced them to reveal their favorite Kimchi. Okay, I just texted them and they replied, consensus was Ocinet or Tobagi brands were good. So there I was in Hankook Market, upgrading to the quart size jar of Kimchi by Ocinet.
With a large jar of kimchi to consume, I searched for quick and easy Kimchi dishes to try. I scored big time when I found a Pork Belly Kimchi recipe on the blog, Spice the Plate. The kitchen gods were smiling on me, I had sliced pork belly, kimchi and Gochujang in the fridge, didn’t even need to make a grocery run. This dish literally comes together in minutes. While the rice is cooking, you have plenty of time to prep, cook and plate the Pork and Kimchi.
The pork is marinaded in Gochujang, soy sauce and a touch of sugar. While the pork marinades, thinly slice a yellow onion, grab some kimchi and slice the bigger pieces into strips. A couple of minutes of stir-frying, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions to make it pretty, voila’ dinner is served. This pork and kimchi dish hits the spot, spicy with a touch of sweetness from the Gochujang, heat and crunch from the kimchi, and a bit of nuttiness from the sesame oil. This is “party in my mouth” food. Delicious and soooo easy.
I managed to pop a taste in my mouth before heading out for a meeting, pretty yummy. I foolishly thought I’ll have some when I get home. When I got home, the bowl was empty and my kid, a sheepish grin plastered on his face, gave me the two thumbs up. Consolation I guess.
Good thing I bought a big jar of Kimchi. To help you pick your own bottle of pickled goodness, Serious Eats also reviewed Kimchi which you can find here.
Update:
I love this simple, homey dish and it has become part of my regular rotation. Starting with ingredients like kimchi, Japanese curry blocks or Thai Curry pastes are such a boon to homecooks. A flavorful meal in minutes!
Added cellophane or bean thread noodles to this dish to give it even a little more “oomph” without adding more pork. Bean thread noodles are made of mung bean and once cooked are transparent, and are absolute flavor magnets.
A Deep Dive On This Thread
Cellophane Noodles are found in just about every Asian cuisine, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai…you get the picture. The confusion begins with labeling. Bean thread noodles, glass noodles, and vermicelli refer to noodles made of mung bean or sweet potato. BUT the term vermicelli noodles are also used for thin rice noodles. Both come dry and look very similar.
On the left is bean thread noodles made of mung bean. Hydrate them in water and they turn transparent. On the right, once hydrated rice noodles or vermicelli are opaque white. If you have had pho or Pad Thai, the noodles are made of rice. Hawaiian Long Rice (don’t get me started), or Korean Japchae, the noodles are made of mung bean. I could be wrong, but most Cantonese dishes use glass noodles not rice noodles.
I admit to being a foodie. I love to cook, I love to eat out at restaurants, I love to dissect everything I eat. When I travel I hunt out the local favorites, my philosophy, eat where the locals eat. Hot chicken in Nashville, BBQ in Austin, Tacos in Los Angeles, Lox and Bagels in NYC, my bucket list goes on and on. I drove four hours for pie for Pete’s sake. My favorite movies include Chef and Tampopo. I binge watch Japanese & Korean dramas on Netflix like Samurai Gourmet and Let’s Eat-Must See Foodie TV, and re-watch episodes of Chef’s Table over and over again.
Parts Known and Loved
Sunday evening CNN’s Parts Unknown is appointment TV for me. My foodie world was rocked last week when Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. Parts Unknown was unique. Not content with showing places through rose-colored glasses, the show found the edgy parts, counter-culture, fringe elements or disenfranchised. He didn’t shy away from talking about politics, injustice, or controversial topics. But his approach was disarming, ask the hard questions over a shared meal and drinks and be genuinely interested in the answers. His journeys strove to capture the heart and soul of each place he visited, to tell a story. My favorite episodes? Hanoi with President Obama, Koreatownand Eastside episodes in Los Angeles, Iran, and Shanghai, I traveled vicariously through his show.
When his book, Appetites came out, I eagerly snatched up a copy. I loved just flipping through it. I read, laughed and savored his storytelling and irreverence. His recipes screamed, “this is the stuff I like to eat and share with family and friends, I don’t give a shit if you like it or not” Now, I felt I had to cook out of it, my own tribute to Mr. Bourdain and personal catharsis.
I made his Roast Chicken, it just seemed like a good starting point.
The recipe is loosely written (is that code for poorly edited? You be the judge). A 2-1/2 pound chicken? I used a 4-1/2 pound chicken which worked fine. I placed the chicken on a bed of chopped carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, and celery to roast just like the photo in his book despite the fact that the recipe does not call for veggies. Does it make a difference? Don’t know, but I have a sneaking suspicion it would be fine either way.
It was simple, delicious, the perfect comfort food to soothe the soul and mend the heart.
Roast chicken by Anthony Bourdain, to soothe the soul and mend your heart.
Course comfort food, dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword anthony bourdain, roast chicken, Soul Food
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1best-quality chickenabout 2 1/2 pounds, preferably organic (ok, my chicken was 4-1/2 pounds) where you get a 21/2 pound chicken 🤷🏻♀️
Sea salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
4tablespoons1/2 stick unsalted butter
10sprigs fresh thyme
1fresh bay leaf
1/2lemoncut into 4 wedges
1cupdry white wine
Juice of 1 lemonabout 2 tablespoons
1 1/2cupschicken stock
1/4cupfinely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Rub the bird inside and out with salt and crushed peppercorns.
Stuff a 1/2-tablespoon pat of butter under the skin of each side of the breast, and under the skin of each thigh.
Stuff the thyme, bay leaf, and lemon wedges into the chicken’s cavity.
Use the tip of a paring knife to poke a small hole in the skin just below each of the chicken’s legs, and tuck each leg carefully into that hole. (You may also truss the chicken with butcher’s twine if you know how, but this is much simpler.)
Place the chicken in a flame-proof roasting pan* and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan, moving it to different parts of the oven to account for hot spots, and basting the bird two or three times with a bulb-top baster or long-handled metal spoon.
*Place chicken on a bed of chopped vegetables including carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
Reduce the oven’s heat to 300˚F and continue to roast, basting frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the bird is done: When you poke the fat part of the thigh with the paring knife, the juices should run clear.
Remove the bird from the oven, let it rest 15 minutes, then remove the breasts and legs from the carcass, reserving everything. Use a ladle to skim off and discard as much surface fat from the pan juices as possible.
Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat and stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve the browned bits. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in the stock with the wooden spoon, bring to a boil, and reduce again by half. Remove from the heat and strain this sauce through a sieve into a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Fold in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.
Serve the chicken—half of the breast plus a drumstick or a thigh per person—with the sauce ladled over, and any remaining sauce in a sauceboat on the table.
