Uni Pasta x Bulgogi. One of my favourite things in the world to eat is Uni. While only available seasonally, Sea Urchin, as it better known, is decadent, thick, buttery and creamy. Infusing it into a creamy pasta sauce is the perfect way to get more out of it is sold in small portions. My favourite Pasta is Pappardelle, an Egg Noodle which works well with the creaminess of this dish. Pairing this together with Air-fried Bulgogi, Barbequed Korean Beef, is the perfect way to make Uni Pasta even more satisfying. A sumptuous balance of East meets West.
Fun fact: Maurizio Gucci‘s (the central subject in House of Gucci) favourite dish was Uni Pasta.
Ingredients:
1 large tray of Uni
16 oz Ribeye Steak, thinned in half
1/4 cup Korean BBQ Marinade
250g package of Pappardelle Pasta
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup Korean BBQ Marinade
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp Truffle Oil
5 bulbs garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced scallion
Furikake
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Sea salt, to taste
Instructions:
1. Marinate steak for minimum one hour in refrigerator. Leave at room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
BiBimBap. This healthy and cheerful Korean staple is an all-time favourite and I have been known to go through periods where all I eat is this. It is extremely hearty and fun to make. The term itself translates to “Mixed Rice”, which is accurate. You assemble all the ingredients together, add the sauce and toss it like a salad. While the traditional recipe uses Bulgogi Beef, I’m doing a spicy Korean Chicken and adding-in fried Zucchini fritters, Hobak Jun and Japchae, Korean Glass Noodles. This is a real tour-de-force! This recipe serves four. This is a medium-spicy.
Rice:
1 1/4 cups Botan Rice, rinsed
2 cups water
Korean Chicken:
4-6 Chicken Thighs, de-boned and cut into thirds
3 tbsps Gochujang
1 tbsp Korean Red Chili Pepper
1 tbsp Organic Raw Sugar
3 tbsps Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 stalk green onion, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
Canola oil
Japchae:
1 handful Sweet Potato Glass Noodles
3 tbsps Sesame Oil
2 tbsps Organic Raw Sugar
2 tbsps Soy Sauce
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
2 stalks green onion, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sesame seeds, toasted
Carrots:
6 miniature carrots, slivered into thin matchsticks
Sprinkle of sea salt
1 tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar
Crown Daisies:
1-2 handfuls of Crown Daisies (Spinach will do too)
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Sea salt, to taste
Shiitake Mushrooms:
6-8 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked in water minimum 1-2 hours and sliced thinly
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Sprinkle of Organic Raw Sugar
Hobak Jun:
1 Zucchini, cut into 1/4″-thick slices
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
Sprinkle of sea salt
Canola oil
Additional Toppings:
1/4 cup Kimchi, chopped
Sesame Seeds, toasted
4 eggs
BiBimBap Sauce:
1/2 cup Gochujang
1 tbsp water
2-3 tbsps Organic Raw Sugar
2 tbsps Sesame Oil
2 tbsps Seasoned Rice Vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions:
1. Prepare rice in rice cooker.
2. Prepare Japchae. In medium-size pot, boil water with salt. Once boiled, add Yam Noodles and cook uncovered. Bring to a boil and cook no more than 3-5 minutes. You do not want the noodles too soft. Strain in colander and run under cold water. Press dry with paper towel.
3. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil and sautée green onions, red pepper and white onion for about 5 minutes till caramelized.
4. In small bowl, mix soy, sugar and 2 tbsps sesame oil.
5. Toss noodles into skillet with sauce and fry for about 3 minutes, careful to avoid noodles breaking. Set aside.
6. In small pot, blanch carrots and drain in colander. Toss-in rice vinegar and sea salt. Set aside.
7. In small pot, blanch Crown Daisies and drain in colander. Do not overcook. Toss in sesame oil and sea salt. Chop bunch in half. Pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
8. In small skillet, add sesame oil and sautée Shiitake mushrooms. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and sprinkle of sugar. Cook till the mushrooms shrink-in a bit and set aside.
9. Prepare Hobak Jun. Place flour on one plate and have beaten egg in a shallow dish. Heat skillet on medium heat with a bit of canola oil. Season zucchini gently with sea salt and once they start sweating, dip in flour and then egg mixture lightly before placing in skillet. Fry till golden and flip. Transfer to platter and set aside.
10. Prepare Korean Chicken. Marinate chicken pieces in Gochujang, Korean Red Chili Pepper, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and wine.
11. Heat large skillet with canola oil, on medium-high heat. Sautée green onion, ginger, garlic and white onion. Add chicken and cook till marinade begins to thicken (approx 10 minutes) and chicken caramelizes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
12. Prepare sauce. In small sauce pan, sautée garlic in sesame oil and add-in remaining ingredients, bringing to boil. Pour into bowl and cool. Heat canola oil in skillet on medium heat. Fry eggs sunny-side up, leaving yolk runny. Carefully set aside, being careful not to break yolks.
13. In serving bowl, assemble by placing rice at bottom first. Create even sections for Kimchi, Carrots, Crown Daisies, 2-3 pieces of Hobak Jun, Chicken, Japchae and Shiitake. Place fried egg on-top and then add sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Serve with large spoon and mix well.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Mozzarella, Ricotta & Kimchi-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms. These are all the rage right now with Zucchini Blossoms being available right now, through end of August. We made the best of our trip downtown with a visit to our fave Eataly, where we found everything we needed to make these. We love the combination of cheese and Kimchi (Korean Pickled Cabbage) as these flavours blend beautifully. You can do this without Kimchi, just add a bit of sea salt to the filling to taste to account for it.
Ingredients:
Package of Zucchini Blossoms (usually contains about 20)
1/2 cup Ricotta
1/4 cup Fresh Soft Mozzarella (Mozzarella Classica), minced
1/4 cup Kimchi, minced
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
3 eggs
1 tsp Truffle Oil
1 tsp parsley
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Canola Oil
Instructions:
1. Heat canola oil in large skilled on medium heat, till oil is hot. Oil should be about 2″ high.
2. In shallow platter, mix flour, milk, 2 eggs, 3 tbsps Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until it becomes a smooth batter.
3. In bowl, mix minced Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, 1 egg, Truffle Oil, 3 tbsps Parmesan and a bit of pepper till combined. Do not over-mix.
4. Take Zucchini Blossoms, opening gently till you can see the base. Gently scoop in a bit of the cheese mixture, careful not to over-stuff. Take a smidge of Kimchi and press it into the cheese gently. Pinch tip of Blossom to seal. Refrigerate a few minutes in refrigerator.
5. Dip stuffed Blossoms into batter, coating lightly. Place into oil and repeat, frying Blossoms in batches, careful not to overcrowd skillet.
6. Fry till golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Place on paper towel-lined tray to absorb oil. Serve.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches & Korean Cucumber Salad. Summer’s here and this is a fun way to celebrate flavours of the season and we are doing it clean and meatless here. You’ve got crunch, chew, heat and cool all-in-one. If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying Jackfruit, you’re in for a treat. This beloved fleshy fruit of both South and Southeast Asia looks a bit like a Durian (without the stench), but is closer to the taste and texture of Pineapple. If you visit your Asian grocer now, you should be able to find it as it’s in peak season right now. Instead of pork, we’re doing this with Jackfruit but if you like you can even do this with Tofu.
Pulled Jackfruit:
2 1/2 cups of Jackfruit flesh, minced
1 Avocado, pitted and cut into 1″ slices
1/4 cup Barbecque Sauce
1/4 cup cashews, unsalted
2 tbsps Ketchup
1 tbsp Gochujang
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Sea salt and pepper
Water
Olive oil
Juice of one lime wedge
Hamburger Buns
Havarti or Cheddar Cheese Slices
Korean Cucumber Salad:
10-12 mini cucumbers or 1 large cucumber, cut into 3 mm-thick slices
3 tbsps rice vinegar
3 tbsps sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsps organic raw sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)
1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds, toasted
1 stalk green onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper/Korean Red Pepper Powder
Sea salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. On medium-high heat, heat oil in skillet.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Corn Cheese. This is huge in Korea and you’ll realize exactly why once you try. Imagine cheese, peppers, corn and chewy rice cakes all together. A sweet, textural sensation! You can serve it as an accompaniment to your rice or noodles and it’s just as perfect on its own! What better way to observe Meatless Monday than with an amazing veggie dish that stands on its own?
Ingredients:
1 7 oz. can corn kernels, drained and pat dry
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 sweet green pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
2 1/2 tbsps mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1/2 tsp organic raw sugar
10 Korean Rice Cakes (stuffed with cheese if available), frozen
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Instructions:
1. Mix corn, peppers and onion in Mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper.
2. Heat butter in skillet till melted. Add corn mixture and cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add-in rice cakes and stir gently, cooking another 5 minutes.
4. Add 1/4 cup of Mozzarella, stirring gently till melted.
5. Transfer mixture to a baking pan, top with remaining cheese and cilantro. Broil 5-7 minutes till cheese is golden brown. Serve.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Korean Fried Chicken. You’ve probably had Kentucky Fried Chicken, but this Koreatown favourite is all sorts of delightful. It’s sweet, savoury, sticky and spicy and honestly not that hard to make! 🍗🌶️
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks (5-6)
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp, allspice or 5 Spice Powder
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Glaze:
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)
2 tbsp organic raw sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 chili, minced thinly
1/2 sweet orange pepper, sectioned
1 stalk green onion, minced
Instructions:
1. Season chicken in salt, pepper, ginger and vinegar for minimum one hour.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
3. In one dish, combine starch, allspice, salt and pepper.
4. Dip drumsticks in egg wash and then in starch mixture. Place aside.
5. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
6. Fry drumsticks in hot oil till golden brown, about 5-7 minutes each side.
7. Place drumsticks on paper towels, absorbing excess oil.
8. In skillet or wok on medium-high heat, sautée ginger, orange peppers, garlic and chilli and sugar in sesame oil. Once caramelized, add Ketchup, Gochujang, maple syrup and soy sauce, stirring well.
9. Toss-in drumsticks and coat in glaze. Cook 2 minutes medium-high heat till caramelized. Garnish with green onion and serve.
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Wings Two Ways. It’s Wing Night! Can’t go out for wings? No worries, we’ve got wings, two ways! One spicy and sweet, the other sweet and tangy.
Option #1, we’re indebted to our friend Elaine Quan (Instagram: @quanner922) for her inspiring recipe which we made a couple tweaks to.
Option #2, you have to use Billy Bones BBQ‘s Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. My niece Jessica and nephew-in-law Mitch are two of the minds behind this Ribfest fan favourite purveyor of grilled thrills, and I’m grateful to them for introducing me to this mustard-infused, tangy concoction. If you can’t find the sauce, look for a mustard-based BBQ Sauce.
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken wings
3 egg whites
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons sea salt
Sauce #1:
1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)
3 teaspoons organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch cube of ginger, minced
Sauce #2:
1/4 cup Billy Bones Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons organic maple syrup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch cube of ginger, minced
Coriander, chopped (garnish)
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, beat egg whites, baking soda and salt until slightly frothy.
2. Toss chicken wings in egg white mixture and coat evenly. Refrigerate overnight uncovered.
3. Preheat oven at 450°F.
4. Place wings on baking sheet and pat dry with paper towel.
5. Bake 15 minutes.
6. Flip wings. Bake 10 minutes.
7. Flip wings. Bake 10 minutes or till juice in wings is just about clear.
8. While on step 7, take two large skillets and on high heat, sear quickly garlic and ginger for about a minute.
9. Combine Sauce #1 in bowl and pour into ginger and garlic in Skillet #1. Bring to a sizzle, let caramelize slightly and reduce to low heat. Do same with Sauce #2 in Skillet #2.
10. Once chicken wings are ready, increase heat on each skillet to medium-high. Divide half of wings into Skillet #1. Divide other half of wings into Skillet #2.
11. Immerse wings till they are coated in sauce.
12. Turn off heat and let wings sit for about 5 minutes.
13. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.
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