Asian Kitchen Cooking with Chef Dan - Friday July 30, 2021 Menu: Corte Bella

Cooking with Chef Dan

  Asian Kitchen
         Friday July 30, 2021

                  Menu:
 Tempura Vegetables – Gojuchang and Ponzu Dips
        Kalbi Short Ribs – Flanken Style
             Steamed Jasmine Rice
           Homemade Kim-chi Relish
            Black Thai Rice Pudding

             Tempura Vegetables

Ingredients:

   1 sweet potato                                                  1 Japanese eggplant
   ⅛ small kabocha pumpkin peeled or any Fall                      1 red pepper, seeded
   squash                                                          (Or any favorite veggie)

   ½ cup flour with a pinch salt (for dredge)

Tempura batter: [egg + water: flour = 1: 1 by volume (ml)]

   1 cup flour sifted
   ¾ cup ice water
   1 large egg

Method:

   •    Peel and slice vegetables into thin slices. (You do not have to precook)
   •    Add egg and water to medium bowl and whisk well.
   •    Stir in flour (can be slightly lumpy)
   •    Dredge vegetables in flour and dip into batter
   •    Fry at 350 degrees until golden. Do not overfill fryer to keep heat constant. Turn veggies so they do not
        stick.
   •    Remove from fryer and lay on plate lined with paper towel. Vegetables should be light and crisp.
   •    Serve immediately.

                                           Gochujang Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

    8 Tbsp. Gochujang paste                                        2 Tbsp ketchup
    6 Tbsp. rice or distilled vinegar                              4 Tbsp honey (maple syrup or corn syrup can be
    4 Tbsp sesame oil                                              substituted)

Method:

    •   Mix Well. Serve chilled or room Temperature

                                                Ponzu Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

    2 cup orange juice                                             ½ cup soy sauce
    1 cup sake (use 6 oz sherry with 2 oz sugar if                 1½ oz fresh lime juice
    you do not have sake)                                          ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
    ½ cup sugar

Method:

    •   Combine all ingredients. Let sit for at least 1 hour for flavors to marry.
    •
                                                     Kalbi Ribs

Ingredients:

   3 lbs. Korean style flanken ribs                          4 tbsp garlic, minced
   1 cup brown sugar                                         2 Tbsp. sesame oil
   1¼ cups soy sauce                                         1 tsp black pepper
   ½ cup Water                                               3 green onions, chopped
   ¼ cup Murin – rice wine                                   1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
   1 small onion, chopped

Method:

   •   In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
   •   In a bowl whisk together all ingredients except the ribs to make a marinade.
   •   Transfer beef into a large sealable freezer bag (you may need 2). Add marinade, press out excess
       air from bags, and seal.
   •   Turn bag over several times to ensure beef is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but
       preferably overnight.
   •   Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot. Drain excess marinade off beef.
   •   Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
   •   Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, serve immediately.

Cook's Note:

   Korean-style short ribs can be found at most Asian markets. The cut, also known as "flanken," refers
   to a strip of beef cut across the bone from the chuck end of the short ribs. Unlike American and
   European-style short ribs, which include a thick slice of bone-in beef, Korean-style short ribs are cut
   lengthwise across the rib bones. The result is a thin strip of meat, about 8 to10 inches in length, lined
   on 1 side with ½-inch thick rib bones. The thin slices make for fast cooking on the grill.

                                             Jasmine Rice
Ingredients:

   2 cups Jasmine rice
   4 cups water

Method:

   •   In a large bowl, rinse rice until water runs clear.
   •   Place rice and water into a pot or rice cooker. Bring to simmer, it using stove top cook for 20-25
       minutes.
   •   Rice should not be stirred. Remove when all water has been absorbed.
   •   Remove from heat and let stand 10-15 minutes. Serve warm
                                        Homemade Kim Chi

Makes about 4 pounds

Ingredients:

   3 pounds napa cabbage (1 big cabbage)                    1 cup gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
   6 tablespoons kosher salt                                6 ounces Daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
   2 tablespoons sweet rice flour                           (about 1 cup),
   1⅓ cups water                                            3 ounces buchu (Asian chives, aka garlic
   1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar                       chives), chopped
   9 garlic cloves                                          8 green onions, sliced diagonally (add 8
   1 teaspoon peeled ginger                                 more if no chives)
   4 Tbsp fish sauce or 3 Tbsp. kosher salt                 1 cup carrot matchsticks
   1 medium onion, cut into chunks

Method:

 Salt the cabbage:
  • Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters. Cut away the core of each quarter.
  • Cut the leaves crosswise into 1-to-1½ inch bite size pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • Toss with 6 tablespoons of the salt and 1 cup water.
  • Let stand for 2 hours, tossing the cabbage every 30 minutes to salt evenly.
 Make the kimchi paste:
  • Combine the glutinous rice flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and place over medium
       high heat.
  • Stir until the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and stir
       until the mixture is slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool
       thoroughly.
  • Put the cooled porridge, the remaining ⅓ cup water, the remaining 3 tablespoons salt, the
       remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, garlic, ginger, and onion in a food processor and process to a puree.
  • Transfer the puree to a medium bowl.
  • Add the gochu-garu (hot pepper flakes) and mix it well. Set aside.

 Wash the salted cabbage:
  • Rinse the cabbage 3 to 4 times with cold running water to remove any dirt and excess salt. Drain
     well.
  • Mix it all together and make kimchi:
  • Dry a large bowl very well with a kitchen cloth.
  • Add the cabbage, radish matchsticks, green onion, chives (if used), and carrots. Add the kimchi
     paste and mix all together by hand (wear disposable gloves if you like).
  • Transfer to an airtight container or glass jars. Press down the on the kimchi so it’s well packed
     and no air can get inside, then put the lid on the container.

 Ferment the kimchi:
  • You can serve the kimchi right away, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Or you can let the kimchi
     ferment. It takes about 2 weeks to ferment in the refrigerator; for faster fermenting, leave it at

room temperature for 1 to 2 days, depending on the warmth of your kitchen, until the kimchi
        smells and tastes sour.
    •   Once the kimchi is fermented, store in the refrigerator until it runs out. After 2 weeks, the kimchi
        will have fermented nicely, and it will continue to ferment and become increasingly sour as time
        goes on. It never goes bad and you can enjoy it at every stage.
    •   Whenever you take some kimchi out of the container, be sure to press down on the remaining
        kimchi with a spoon to prevent it from being exposed to air.

                                           Black Thai Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

2 to 2½ cups water                                            ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup Thai black rice                                         3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup light coconut milk                                      ½ teaspoon salt

Fresh Fruit Garnish – optional

Method:

    •   In a medium saucepan, mix 2 cups water, rice and coconut milk, and bring to a boil over medium-high
        heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
        During the last 10 minutes of cooking, make sure to keep a close eye, adding extra water, ¼ cup at a time,
        if the rice gets too dry.
    •   Meanwhile, toast the coconut. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the coconut on a baking sheet and bake
        for 5 minutes or until golden-brown, stirring once during baking.
    •   When the rice is tender, add the sugar and salt. Simmer for a couple more minutes, or until pudding is
        desired texture. (Add a little more water for a looser pudding; let cook several more minutes for a drier
        pudding.) Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon into individual bowls, top with toasted coconut flakes and
        your favorite fresh fruit, and serve.

Note:
   You can reduce the cooking time by soaking the rice overnight before cooking. In a medium bowl, cover the
   rice with cold water and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and proceed with the recipe, reducing the
   water to 1-1½ cups and the cooking time to 30 minutes before adding the sugar and salt.