I Am... How to Tteokbokki
Sweet and spicy, saucy, chewy tteokbokki is one of my all time favorite snacks. Tteokbokki is probably THE most famous street food from Korea. They’re chewy rice cakes simmered in a glorious mix of sweet, savory, spicy sauce that is completely addictive. The best thing about tteokbokki is that it’s so easy to make. It’s deliciously simple and completely customizable. What are you waiting for, tteokbokki is in your future!
What is tteokbokki?
They’re spicy Korean rice cakes. Tteokbokki literally means stir fried rice cakes: tteok is the word for rice cake and bokki means fried. It’s an extremely popular dish, both as street food and comfort food at home. Tteokbokki are made with cylindrical rice cakes simmered in a thick and spicy sauce.Where to buy tteokbokki rice cakes
You can find tteokbokki rice cakes at Korean markets. They’ll usually come freshly made by the store, commercially made fresh and packaged, or frozen. If you can get ones that are made fresh, they are the top choice, but packaged and frozen are good too. You can even get them online, although we've never tried these, they seem to be well reviewed.How to make tteokbokki
- Soak the rice cakes. Soak the rice cakes in a bit of warm tap water to loosen and soften them up.
- Make the sauce. While the rice cakes are soaking, mix together the tteokbokki sauce in a small bowl: gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic.
- Simmer. Stir the sauce into some anchovy stock and bring to a simmer. Add the rice cakes and cook until the sauce reduces and the rice cakes are chewy, soft, and heated through.
- Enjoy! Finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced scallions and enjoy warm.
What does tteokbokki taste like?
It tastes like heaven! If you love carbs, you’ll love tteokbokki. It’s chewy and filling, sweet and spicy and savory. If you haven’t had it before, think of it like a savory mochi or maybe like a gnocchi in a spicy sauce. Korean rice cakes are chewy and bouncy. The rice cakes themselves are very mild but when you cook them in sauce, they soak up flavor like a sponge and become incredibly delicious. Many tteokbokki also have fish cakes and boiled eggs added in for extra flavor and protein.Ingredients
- Garae-tteok/tteokbokki rice cakes. You can find Korean rice cakes freshly made, packaged in the refrigerated section, or frozen in the freezer aisles at a Korean grocery store. Most Korean grocery stores make their own, which would be the best choice because they’re soft and chewy, but the packaged and frozen rice cakes work great too.
- Anchovy stock. Anchovy stock, much like dashi in Japanese cooking, is a backbone of Korean food. You can make your own by using small dried anchovies and dried kelp, or you can use these handy anchovy stock packets that work like a little teabag that you steep in hot water. The anchovy stock adds a deep umami and flavor that you don’t get if you’re just using water. If you have dashi at home, you can use that too.
- Tteokbokki sauce. Tteokbokki sauce is made up of gochjang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. It’s garlicky, a tiny bit sweet, and spicy. It’s definitely super savory and keeps you wanting to come back for more and more.
- Korean fish cakes. I didn’t include fish cakes in my tteokbokki but I love Korean fish cakes. They’re chewy and savory and have the best texture. They come in ball form, tube form, and sheets. Most tteokbokki uses sheets, cut into triangles, squares, or strips.
- Toasted sesame oil. A drizzle of toasted sesame oil right before you serve adds a golden sheen and fragrant finish.
- Scallions. Thinly sliced scallions add freshness and bite.
- Toasted sesame seeds. A couple of toasty, nutty sesame seeds a bit of textural contrast.
Gochujang vs gochugaru
If you’re not familiar with Korean food, you might not know what gochujang or gochugaru is.- Gochujang is a spicy Korean sauce. It’s savory, sweet, spicy thick fermented paste made from chili powder and sticky rice. It adds sweet and heat and a ton of flavor. Traditionally it comes in tubs, but these days you can find it in convenient squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of literally any grocery store and online, of course.
- Gochugaru, on the other hand, are Korean chili flakes. Korean chili flakes are fruity, sweet, smoky, sun dried bright red flakes. They’re not too spicy and their heat is gentle and delicious. I always buy coarse gochugaru which looks like flaky sea salt. They usually come labeled with mild, medium, or hot, so you can buy them according to your spice preference.
Do I need to soak tteokbokki rice cakes?
If you have fresh rice cakes you don’t need to soak them. If you are using ones that are packaged or frozen, give them a soak in warm water to loosen them up and rehydrate them a bit.Anchovy stock substitute
You can buy anchovy stock packets online or at a Korean grocery store but if you’re looking for a substitute, you can use Japanese dashi or even chicken stock or water. If you use chicken stock or water, the tteokbokki won’t have the same depth of flavor but it will still be good.Where to buy fish cakes
All Korean stores will sell fresh fish cakes in their deli section and frozen ones in the freezer aisles. You can also find fish cakes at regular Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find Korean fish cakes, Japanese fish cakes or Chinese fish cakes can sub in.Is tteokbokki spicy?
Depending on your spice level tteokbokki is on the spicier side. If you want to make mild tteokbokki, I have an adaptation below.Non-spicy tteokbokki
For non-spicy tteokbokki, make this sauce instead of the sauce listed in the recipe:- 2 tbsp mild gochujang
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
How to store tteokbokki
Tteokbokki will keep tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.How to reheat tteokbokki
To reheat, add the tteokbokki to a pot with 1/4 cup water or dashi and simmer over low heat until heated through. You can also warm it in the microwave with a bit of water added to the sauce.What to serve with tteokbokki
- Korean fried chicken of course!
- DIY at home Korean BBQ
- Korean corn dogs
- Spicy tofu stew/sundubu jjigae
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to use anchovy stock? You don’t need too, especially if you’re vegetarian, but the anchovy stock adds a lot of extra flavor and depth that is the secret to a good tteokbokki.
- What can I use instead of fish cakes? If you’re vegetarian but still want some protein in this dish you can use tofu! Tofu puffs taste amazing in this sauce.
- Why do my tteokbokki split apart and crack? If your tteokbokki keep splitting and cracking, it’s because your rice cakes are too dry and freezer burnt. They may have been frozen and defrosted more than once. If you have problems with them splitting, try soaking them in cold water and letting them defrost slowly overnight in the fridge.
- How to pronounce tteokbokki? It’s “duck boak key.” A short and hard “duck,” “boak” like oat with a b in front, and “key” like the key for a door. Thanks Chloe for answering in the comments!
- Why is tteokbokki so famous? Tteokbokki is one of Korea’s top street food and convenience items. It’s a super casual kind of food that friends go out for when they meet up and drink and it’s also been featured in so many Korean dramas that it’s kind of been romanticized. Imagine a rainy night where you see a lone tteokbokki stall with steaming spicy rice cakes. There’s a little counter and an awning covering customers from the rain. The streets are shiny and the city lights are glowing. You order some tteokbokki with extra fish cakes and a good looking stranger next to you orders the exact same thing…K-drama feels!
Trader Joe’s tteokbokki
Recently Trader Joe’s has come out with tteokbokki! It’s in the freezer section and it comes with everything you need in one convenient pack. To be honest you can also get packs of tteokbokki with the sauce and everything you need at a Korean store in the freezer section as well but if you’re nowhere near a Korean grocery store this is a good alternative. We haven’t tried them yet but they have pretty positive reviews so next time we spot them we’ll give them a go. I think they’re a style that is not as spicy or saucy and more of a sweet and sticky style.How to make tteokbokki with cheese
This one is really simple, just add a slice of cheese on top of your hot tteokbokki. You can also add shredded cheese if you don’t have a slice of cheese. Mozzarella is what they usually use because it’s super stretchy and mild.How to make rose tteokbokki
We’ve been eating tteokbokki on the regular and experimenting with different variations and our current favorite is rose or rosé (like the wine or pasta sauce!) tteokbokki. Rosé sauce is simply a red sauce with a bit of cream mixed in and rosé tteokbokki is the same! Rose sauce is super popular in Korea: it’s spicy and creamy and incredibly addictive. To make it, all you do is make the recipe as below. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream until the sauce turns a beautiful pink. Top it off with plenty of mozzarella cheese, let it melt, then go to town. So good!What other recipes have Korean rice cakes?
- Rabokki - the amazing mix of ramen and rice cakes
- Korean corn dogs - instead of using cheese, add a rice cake!
- Budae Jjigae - you can add rice cakes to army stew, they get soft and chewy and are so good
- Kimchi Stew - is it even kimchi stew without rice cakes?!
Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is probably THE most famous street food from Korea: chewy rice cakes simmered in an addictive mix of sweet, savory, spicy sauce.
- 1 lb tteokbokki tteok
- 3 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 cups anchovy stock (sub dashi or other stock if needed)
To Finish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp green onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Soak the tteokbokki tteok in warm tap water while you prepare the sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic. (See notes for a mild version of the sauce.)
Add the anchovy stock to a pot and stir in the sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
Drain the tteokbokki and add to the pot. Stir occasionally and bring to a simmer for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce bubble and reduce, stirring so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, about 10-15 minutes depending on how thick you want the sauce.
Before serving drizzle with toasted sesame oil and finish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Enjoy warm!
I Am... Sushi Bake
Have you heard of sushi bake? It’s a super popular potluck dish inspired by sushi. It’s a deconstructed California roll, layered and baked in a casserole. Everything gets warm and creamy and you scoop it up into crispy sheets of roasted seaweed and top it off with cucumber and avocado. It’s SO good. If you love California rolls, you’ll love sushi bake. It’s savory, creamy, and super satisfying. Because it's so easy to make, it's perfect for potlucks, gatherings, and get togethers.
What is sushi bake?
Sushi bake came around as an alternative to sushi rolls: all the flavors of creative sushi rolls layered and baked into a warm and comforting delicious casserole, meant to be scooped into little sheets of roasted seaweed. Like most casseroles, it’s a home style dish meant to be shared with friends and family. It’s easier than rolling lots of rolls and the scooping and sharing makes it fun and interactive. It’s infinitely customizable meaning there’s a sushi bake out there for everyone!How to make sushi bake
- Make: Take the time to make sushi rice. You can just use plain cooked short grain rice, but taking the time to add vinegar, sugar, and salt to make sushi rice will take your sushi bake to a whole other level.
- Spread: Spread the sushi rice into a oven safe dish and sprinkle with some furikake.
- Mix: In a bowl, mix up some shredded chopped crab with cream cheese and Kewpie mayo and then spread it on top of the rice layer. Sprinkle on a bit more furikake.
- Bake: Pop the sushi bake into the oven and bake until it starts to brown and bubble and is heated through.
- Enjoy: Remove from the oven and if desired, drizzle with extra kewpie mayo and sriracha. Enjoy scooped on to roasted seaweed snacks with cucumber and avocado.
Ingredients
- Sushi rice - Koshihikari is the standard variety of rice used for sushi and is very easily found online and in grocery stores. It’s a short and stubby rice that is that is naturally sticky. It cooks up beautifully and is perfect for sushi bake.
- Crab or seafood - You can go with either imitation crab (which is not crab at all but pollock which is a fish), canned crab, or fresh crab. Since the crab is baked, I suggest just going with whatever is easiest. For me, that means either canned or imitation crab. If you’re not a fan of crab, you can definitely used any sort of seafood that you love - like salmon or tuna or prawns!
- Kewpie mayo and cream cheese - the cream cheese mixed up with the crab gets melty and creamy and is so decadent and addictive. Kewpie mayo adds a subtle rich and sweet mayo flavor that is tangy from the rice vinegar.
- Furikake - Furikake, if you haven’t heard of it, is rice seasoning. Think of it as a mix of seaweed and sesame seeds and other tasty bits that people sprinkle onto bowls of rice to dress them up a bit. It’s super addictive and tastes amazing on everything: rice, noodles, pasta, popcorn, eggs, you name it, furikake makes it better. You can find furikake at Asian grocery stores or online.
How to serve sushi bake
Sushi bakes are eaten kind of like a little taco with roasted seaweed snack being the tortilla and the sushi bake being the filling. Just scoop a bit of sushi bake onto a piece of roasted seaweed snack and pop it in your mouth for the perfect bite. Typically you just put a dish of warm sushi bake in the center of the table and everyone can scoop a bit onto their plate, wrap it in seaweed and eat it. You can also slice it into little pre-portioned slices that you can easily move onto roasted seaweed.What kind of seaweed do I need?
Seasoned roasted Korean laver seaweed snacks is the best seaweed to eat with sushi bake. You’ll see them in little foil packs sold in the snack section. They sell them at Asian grocery stores, Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, online, essentially everywhere! Roasted seaweed snacks look a little bit different than the typical seaweed used for sushi - slightly more translucent with a looser weave. You can also just use regular toasted seaweed cut into rectangular strips but I love the crispy crunch of roasted seaweed snacks.Sushi bake variations
Sushi bake variations are endless! Try these:- Miso salmon - instead of crab, use the equal amount of drained canned salmon. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of miso.
- Tuna salad - instead of crab, use the equal amount of drained canned tuna. Mix in some sliced scallions.
- Spicy - mix in 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha into the crab mix and top with an extra drizzle of sriracha when eating.
- Cheesy - add an extra layer of shredded cheddar cheese on top before baking.
Spicy salmon roll sushi bake
To make a spicy salmon roll sushi bake, prepare the rice base as below. For the topping, combine 1 lb cooked and flaked salmon with 1 cup kewpie mayo, and 2 tbsp sriracha. Spread the spicy salmon mixture on top of the rice and top with the furikake and bake as directed below. Enjoy warm with seaweed!Crock pot sushi bake
A reader asked a really good question about making sushi bake in a Crock Pot so they could bring it to a party while keeping it warm. I hadn’t thought of it before, but the more I pondered, the more I thought about how it would absolute work to use the Crock Pot as a warmer. They key to making sushi bake in a Crock Pot is to use the Crock Pot as a warmer after you’ve already made and baked it. Here’s how you do it:- Make sushi rice by mixing cooked short grain rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Spread the sushi rice into the bottom of the slow cooker insert and top generously with furikake.
- Mix up your toppings of choice with cream cheese and Kewpie mayo and spread it over the rice. Finish with a generous sprinkle of furikake.
- Bake the sushi rice in the crock pot insert in the oven at 350°F. This is a lower temperature than usual because the crock pot insert can’t be heated too high.
- When the top is brown and bubbly and everything is warmed through (about 20 minutes), transfer the crock pot insert to the crock pot and keep warm on low.
- Keep it on low until ready to serve, then top with extra mayo and sriracha, if desired. Serve warm with roasted seaweed snacks to scoop up!
What to serve with sushi bake
Truthfully sushi bake is a full meal within itself but if you’re looking for some extras, try these:- Tamagoyaki because who doesn’t love sweet and savory rolled eggs
- No Japanese inspired meal is complete without miso soup!
- A lil salad with incredibly addictive Japanese dressing would be a lovely side
- Spicy, creamy, addictive prawn tempura in chili mayo
- Super fluffy, jiggly Japanese cheesecake for dessert
Sushi Bake
A savory, creamy, and super satisfying deconstructed California roll, layered and baked in a casserole.
- 1 cup rice (Koshihikari or other short grain rice preferred)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz imitation crab (shredded and chopped)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (room temp)
- 1/2 cup mayo (kewpie mayo preferred)
- 1/4 cup furikake
- 1/2 cucumber (sliced, to serve)
- 1 avocado (cubed, to serve)
- 3 packages roasted laver (aka Korean seaweed snacks, to serve)
Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the sushi rice in a colander, rinse throughly and let drain for 15 minutes. Cook rice according to the package instructions or your preference. While the rice is cooking, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan and warm over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, microwave briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the shredded crab with the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Set aside.
When the rice is done, transfer to a very large bowl. Sprinkle on the vinegar mixture and use a rice paddle or spatula to mix the vinegar into the rice while using a slicing motion. Fan the rice while mixing to dry it out slightly.
Spread the sushi rice into an oven safe baking dish and top with 1/2 of the furikake.
Top with the cream cheese mayo crab mix. Sprinkle on the remaining furikake.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top just begins to brown and bubble and the casserole is warmed through.
Enjoy warm with roasted seaweed snack, sliced cucumbers, and sliced avocados.
To reheat: warm in a 325°F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through or in the microwave for 30s - 1 min.
I Am... Japanese Cheesecake Recipe
Japanese cheesecake is probably my all-time favorite cake of any kind, cheese or not. Recently, I’ve been making Japanese cheesecake after cheesecake, not to perfect a recipe or anything, but because they’re just so fluffy and addictive. Can you ever have too much cheesecake?
What is Japanese Cheesecake?
Japanese cheesecake is a soufflé cheesecake that's quite different than the dense and thick New York style cheesecake we all know and love, but every bit as tasty. They are light and fluffy thanks to loads of whipped egg whites, are a little less sweet, and have a slightly tangy cream cheese flavor. They’re so fluffy that you can probably eat a whole cheesecake by yourself and not feel totally guilty about it. They're like the cheesecake version of Japanese soufflé pancakes. They look pretty darn cute and squishy and taste good too. This recipe bakes up beautifully, doesn't crack and the inside texture is bang on, almost exactly the same as the cheesecakes I get in Tokyo. The key is baking it at different temperatures. It starts off high so it can get a lot of heat to help it rise, then goes low and slow so everything bakes evenly.How to make Japanese Cheesecake
- Make the cream cheese batter: The cream cheese is melted over a double boiler so that it gets extra smooth and creamy. When it’s melty, mix in the butter, milk, egg yolks, and a bit of sugar.
- Sift in the flour and cornstarch: After everything is smooth you sift in the cake flour and cornstarch.
- Whip the egg whites: This is the part that is key. It’s not too difficult, especially if you’ve made meringue before. Just whip up your whites to about soft peaks.
- Mix: Gently fold together the whites and cream cheese batter, being careful not to deflate the whites too much.
- Bake in a water bath: Japanese cheesecake is a bit delicate so you’ll need to bake it in a water bath with a kitchen towel underneath so that it doesn't contact direct heat in any way.
- Cool: If you like, you can remove it from the pan once it’s cool enough to touch and do the jiggly shake that I’m sure you’ve seen on the internet. Otherwise, just let it cool very slowly then you’re ready to eat!
Japanese Cheesecake Ingredients
The ingredients for this Japanese cheesecake recipe are are similar to regular cheesecake, but with a few important changes:- cake flour: if you don't live in America, cake flour is low protein flour, usually about 8%-9% protein
- corn starch: not corn flour. corn starch is used to get the protein content down even further to make the cake as light and fluffy as possible
- cream of tartar: cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites, which are whipped into a meringue. Cream of tartar can be hard to find depending on where you live, so if you don't have it but you're pretty good at whipping egg whites to soft peaks, you could skip it. You can also order it online.
The importance of cooling your cheesecake
After the baking, the cheesecake will spend an enormously long time to cool off in the oven. I’m pretty sure this is not how they do it in Japan because they take them out of the oven when they’re still super hot and jiggly, but this works for me so I roll with it. The super slow cooling keeps your cheesecake looking non-wrinkly and crack-free, which was a problem I faced the first few times I made this. The only thing is, when you cool it in the oven, you don’t get to have fun jiggling it while it’s still hot. And really, the cheesecake is most jiggly when it’s warm. After it cools down, it deflates a bit and is more like a regular fluffy sponge cake texture rather than a jiggly puffball. If you don't care about aesthetics, or care more about jiggling, or just want to eat cheesecake ASAP, feel free to shorten the cooling time or even take it out right away.Soft peaks
Japanese cheesecake is made light and fluffy by whipping up egg whites. We’re aiming for a soft peak, which will help the cheesecake be fluffy and jiggly. You want your egg whites to look like almost fully whipped egg whites, but when you pull your whisk up from the whites, the whites will gently fold over like the tip of a nice swirl of soft ice cream, instead of standing straight up.Kitchen scale
The measurements in this recipe are by weight because Japanese cheesecake can be a little finicky when baking by volume. If you don't yet have a kitchen scale, you should totally get one because they are cheap and will change your baking life forever. You'll wonder why it took you so long to start baking by weight before, it's so much easier! This is a recipe that takes time and care but it’s totally worth it! Wishing you a fluffy Japanese cheesecake :)The Best Japanese Cheesecake Recipe
Just the right sweetness and perfectly fluffy and jiggly with a hint of tart cream cheese.
- kitchen scale
Cream Cheese Batter
- 250 grams room temperature cream cheese
- 60 grams unsalted butter
- 100 ml whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 70 grams sugar
- 60 grams cake flour
- 20 grams cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
Meringue
- 6 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 70 grams sugar
Preheat your oven to 390°F and lightly grease a 8” x 3” round cake pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Pour boiling water into a large bowl or pan, then sit a smaller mixing bowl inside. Add the cream cheese to the smaller bowl and let soften while you separate your eggs. When the cream cheese is soft, whisk until smooth and creamy, then stir in butter and milk until smooth and incorporated. Whisk in the yolks until smooth, then whisk in the sugar. Remove the bowl from the hot water bath and sift in the cake flour and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy and pale, adding sugar bit at a time until the whites are whipped into a glossy thick meringue that holds a soft peak. Be careful not to over whip.
Take 1/3 of the whipped egg whites and whisk it into the bowl with the yolks until completely incorporated. Add half of the remaining whites and whisk into the yolk batter, being careful not to deflate.
Transfer the egg yolk mixture to the remaining egg whites, whisk and then use a spatula to fold together. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan – it should come up almost to the top of the pan, about 1/4 inch from the top. Tap the pan against the counter to release any air bubbles.
Place a kitchen towel into a large deep baking dish and place the cake pan on top (this ensures that the cheesecake doesn’t have any contact with direct heat), then put everything into the preheated oven and carefully pour hot water about 1 inch high.
Bake at 390°F for 18 minutes, then drop the heat to 285°F and bake for another 30 minutes. When the 30 minutes is up, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside without opening the door for another 30 minutes. Finally, open the oven door and remove the water bath. Place the cake back into the oven and leave the door slightly open to let cool gently for another 30 minutes. The idea is to let the cake cool very gradually so it doesn’t crack.
The cake will have naturally shrunk from the sides and should be cool enough to touch. Use a cutting board (or your hands) to invert and remove from the pan. Flip back right side up and place on your serving dish. It should be soft, fluffy, and jiggly while it’s still warm.
adapted from craftpassion.com
I Am... How to make the best charcuterie board
I love date-nights in. So cozy and romantic. You get to pick the music, or maybe a movie, light some candles and just chill with your boo. My favorite way to do an easy night in is a charcuterie board. Mike and I first discovered our love for charcuterie together. Way back in the day, years and years ago, a hot new restaurant opened in a literal alley in a very sketchy part of town. It was hipster before being hipster was a thing. They offered flights of meat and cheese for an insane amount of money (to us, back then) and we fell in love.
Charcuterie at home
After our fourth visit there in 2 weeks, we wised up to the fact that we were spending an absurd amount of money on something that we could easily do at home. After all, the restaurant literally told us where they sourced their charcuterie from. This was way before made-in-house was a thing. So, we went right to the source, bought a bunch of our favorites, which we handily already knew, and went to town. Ever since, we’ve always made charcuterie and cheese boards at home. The best part is coming up with fun little accompaniments, because stuff that makes everything prettier makes things tastier too, right? Our boards are heavy on the pate because to me, that's the best part.Where to get charcuterie ingredients
Ideally you have a nice little European inspired artisanal meat and cheese provider in your city. Failing that though, you can get a decent selection of salamis, cured meats, cheeses, and pates from the deli section of most major grocery stores, especially Whole Foods and similar higher end stores.How to make a charcuterie board
First off, don’t feel like you have to go crazy. I love a simple charcuterie board. You can do just one meat and one cheese and have some mustard and good bread and call it a day. Or you could also go crazy and make a huge impressive platter! You do you. You are after all, the star of your meat and cheese bar.- Grab your board. Just in case you’re wondering, do you need a fancy marble and wood charcuterie board? The answer is nope, you can use any old cutting board or plate you have at home! In these photos we used a baking sheet.
- Little bowls. Put down a couple of small bowls for things like olives, rillettes, mustards, jams, dips, nuts, anything that you don’t want spreading all over the board. The bowls add height to your board and also give you more space because you can lean/stack things against them. How many bowls depends on the size of your board or plate.
- Meats and cheeses. After the bowls are on the platter, add the sliced meats, either in neat rows or in a organic pile. Add the cheese. While the exact combination is up to you, a little further below we have suggested amounts, varieties, and mixes.
- Breads and crackers. Stack or lay out the carbs in little piles, keeping the crackers with the crackers and the breads with the breads.
- Spreads. We like to use a couple of different mustards (usually 1 English and 1 stone ground French) as well as whatever jelly we have sitting around.
- Fruit and garnish. Add some seasonal fruit and herbs for color and freshness! In the photos we use a little trick we learned from Cassia in Santa Monica: pairing charcuterie with Vietnamese herbs. It's genius!
How much charcuterie per person?
It’s nice to get a mix of meats and cheeses but the ratio is up to you! We base everything on a minimum order of 2oz.- For an appetizer, get 2 different meats/cheeses per person (4oz total per person)
- As a main, get 4 different meats/cheeses per person (8oz total per person).
What to put on a charcuterie board?
If you want to go all out and make the perfect charcuterie board, this is our formula:- Something machine-sliced: These are your cured meats like prosciutto, sliced thin for a salty, savory hit. Since you probably don't have a meat slicer, if they don't already come sliced, get these from the deli and ask them to slice them as thin as they recommend (different meats require different thicknesses).
- Something hand-sliced: These are the cured meats that you want with a little bit of a heartier/heftier bite, sausages and the like that you can slice yourself at home.
- Something spreadable: These are the squishy spreadable things that add a bit of fat and are smooth and rich on the tongue. We like to go for a couple pâtés or terrines, and always add a small scoop of rillettes too.
- Cheese. Not all charcuterie boards include cheese, but the best ones do, in my opinion! You can just add one as an accent or do a combination that highlight contrasting flavors and textures. We like to go about 70/30 meats vs cheese, usually one brie and one harder cheese like gouda (more on this below).
- Carbs. Carbs are the base upon which your (probably pretty expensive) meats and cheeses are enjoyed. Crusty bread, untoasted and toasted, crisp rye crackers, homemade sourdough crackers, water crackers - the list goes on. While the point of the carbs on a charcuterie board is a blank canvas for the flavors of the meats and cheeses, a really good selection of crusty toasted baguettes and crispy crunchy crackers can turn an ordinary grocery store meat and cheese board into something extraordinary.
- Bright Notes. These are your fruits, olives, mustards, pickles, herbs, and jellies. They shouldn't be an afterthought, actually, they should be the star of the show! These guys are what people really find themselves enjoying after the first couple of bites, because they offset the richness of the meats and cheeses with complex flavors and mix-and-match combinations. We like to go crazy with different mustards and always include some nice cornichons and olives.
Best cured meats
These are our favorites:- Soppressata: a dry Italian salami made from pork that comes in different flavors like black pepper or spicy. Salty, rich, and flavorful. You can get this sliced thin at the deli or cut slightly thicker slices at home.
- Saucisson sec: a thick dry cured French sausage usually made from pork, saucisson sec is similar to salami or summer sausage. It’s meaty, mild, and comes in a variety of flavors like red wine or garlic. You can get this sliced thin at the deli or cut slightly thicker slices at home.
- Calabrese: a spicy cured pork sausage from Calabria, Italy. Bright red, rich, and robust. You can get this sliced thin at the deli or cut slightly thicker slices at home.
- Mortadella: a large Italian pork sausage studded with small cubes of pork fat, whole black pepper, and optionally pistachios or olives. Mortadella is soft and smooth and silky. It might remind you of baloney, but it’s nothing like baloney. Get this sliced thin.
- Prosciutto: By now everyone and their grandma knows prosciutto and it’s no wonder why, it’s salty, rich, and just melts in your mouth. What’s not to love about thinly sliced cured ham?! Get this sliced thin at the deli.
- Jamon (Serrano and Iberico): The Spanish version of dry cured ham. Sweet, nutty, and earthy, this delicate ham is cured longer than prosciutto and has a deeper, stronger flavor. Serrano is the more common jamon and Iberico is the more specialty, made from black Iberian pigs. Get this sliced thin at the deli.
- Bresaloa: Air dry salted lean beef that’s been aged, made famous in the Lombardy region of Italy. It’s kind of like a beefy version of prosciutto, but less fatty and milder in flavor. Get it sliced thin at the deli.
- Finocchiona: a Tuscan salami on the sweeter side flecked with fennel seeds. This is one of my favorites!
Best pâtés, terrines, and rillettes
Head to a charcutier (a place where they make in house charcuterie) for a selection of spreadables to up your charcuterie game. Spreadable things are incredibly addictive, especially on crackers and bread.- Pâté: The most decadent and delicious of the pâté is foie gras but a more accessible pâté is probably chicken liver pâté or chicken liver mousse. It’s light, rich, and silky smooth. We also like a simple peppercorn pâté or a rustic country style pâté de campagne.
- Terrine: Terrine mostly refers to the loaf-shaped pan that they’re cooked in. Sometimes they’re layered or baked in puff pastry. We love duck and pistachio terrine for its simple heartiness and amazing time tested flavors.
- Rillettes: Rillettes are meat or fish that’s been chopped or shredded and confit/cooked own fat to make a thick spread. If you’ve had potted whitefish dip or potted salmon, it was probably a rillette. Rillettes are heartier than pâté and incredibly satisfying. Our favorite is pork rillettes.
Best cheeses
The best cheese is a cheese you like! That being said, if you want to expand your cheese horizons, these are some of our favorites that aren’t the usual cheddar, brie, and mozzarella. Epoisses de Bourgongne or Saint-Andre: These two are creamy, soft cheeses perfect for spreading. The Epoisses has a pretty pungent smell, but when you taste it, it’s creamy, salty, and sweet. At room temp it’s absolutely luscious. If you’re against stinky cheeses, you should go for the Saint Andre, a triple cream which is dense, buttery, and rich. It’s like brie, but better! Kaasaggio Robusto Gouda: It’s our new favorite cheese obsession. Flavor wise, it’s a blend of parmesan and gouda, with the salty nuttiness of Parmesan and the sweet butterscotch-y flavors of an aged gouda. It has a an intense amount of those addictive little crunchy crystals that are only found in really good aged cheese. Castello Double Creme Blue: I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese, but I have a deep respect for their sharp, deep flavors. I’m slowly liking blue cheese more and more and if you want a gateway blue cheese, this is the one to try. Castello is a Danish cheese, tender and mild compared to other blues while still having a delicate bitterness with a creamy finish. Kind of addictive to be honest! Saint Paulin: This is one of those cheeses that everyone will love. It’s a semi-firm pressed cheese that has a pleasing edible yellow-orange rind and a velvety buttery smooth interior. It’s very similar to a harvarti – super subtle with a hint of sweetness and the taste of fresh milk.Bread and crackers
We like having a variety of breads and crunchy things too.- I’m really into these rye crisps
- and these crispy crackers
- Mike loves toasted baguettes that we get sliced at our local bakery, then put on a baking sheet at home and toast all at once at 350ºF for 15 minutes.
- Of course if you want to go all out, homemade sourdough crackers are the way to go!
What are the best garnishes for a charcuterie board?
- Spreads: jams and honey add a touch of sweetness. They’re perfect with cheese!
- Nuts: walnuts, macadamias, marcona almonds, pecans, pistachios, all the nuts!
- Seeds: this sounds funny, but seeds go exceptionally well sprinkled onto cheese, especially soft ones like goat cheese. Have little dishes of poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, toasted sunflower seeds, pepitas
- Olives: Pick your favorite olives! We like picholine (small green French olives), Nicoise (small black French olives), and Manzanilla (firm smoky green Spanish olives).
- Fruit: Any seasonal fruit will do, in the summer berries and stone fruits are nice and in the fall and winter things like pears and apples.
- Mustards: whole grain, dijon, spicy brown, honey mustard, English; mustards add heat and acidity.
- Pickles: cornichon (those cute little French pickles), picked onions or shallots, pickled vegetable such as beets, peppers, radishes, beans, etc.
What is charcuterie, anyway?
Charcuterie is the french term for prepared meat products like hams, sausages, terrines, and pâtés. While traditionally that was more or less it, these days a charcuterie board implies a big spread of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, spreads, crackers, and breads. Part of the fun of charcuterie is that everything is prepared and all you have to do is pick out your favorites and make everything look pretty. It’s easy and delicious and can feel fancy or casual, but always luxurious. You can go from grocery store pâtés to local artisanal cheeses and everything in between.Why are charcuterie boards so popular?
I think it’s because people like choice and abundance. Place a charcuterie board down in front of people and they get to pick and choose what they like, making flavor combinations appeal to them – kind of like a food version of choose-your-own-adventure. With one or two items, it’s a low key appetizer or light meal, perfect for pairing with drinks. If you go all out, it’s also super easy for fancy entertaining or for a casual date night in. We've used charcuterie boards as easy-yet-fancy appetizers for dinner parties that can be quickly thrown together more times than I can remember. You don’t have to go fancy though. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stick to one kind of meat, a really good mustard, and some olives. Keep it simple, keep it crazy, keep it you. It's delicious no matter how you slice it (pun intended).How do you say charcuterie?
It’s shar-CUTE-er-ee! Go forth and meat and cheese with abandon! xoxo stephThe Ultimate Charcuterie Board
Our ultimate version of a classic charcuterie board.
- 2 oz prosciutto (thinly sliced at the deli)
- 2 oz soppressata (thinly sliced at the deli)
- 2 oz finocchiona (thinly sliced at the deli)
- 2 oz duck with truffles pâté
- 2 oz pork rillettes
- 2 oz double creme brie (or bleu)
- 2 oz Kaasaggio Robusto Gouda
- 2 oz boursin (high-low baby)
- 1 baguette (1/3" sliced at the bakery)
- 1/2 package crackers (see blog for recommendations)
- 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
- 1/4 cup English mustard
- 1/2 cup olives (see blog for recommendations)
- 1/4 cup cornichons
- 1 fruit (thinly sliced, seasonal)
Toast your baguettes in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice your cheeses and salamis, if needed
Arrange your mustards, olives, cornichons, and other spreads in small dishes.
Smear your pâté, rillettes, and soft cheeses along the edges of deep plates.
Remove baguette from oven and arrange in a large bowl or two. In a separate bowl, snap into small pieces (if homemade) and arrange your crackers.
Serve immediately with tongs, forks, or other serving utensils.
As a main, either double the volume or variety of the proteins.
The meats and cheeses are just a base, you should add jams, jellies, herbs, and other fruits or veggies according to your taste.
Estimated nutrition is a good representation but will be highly variable based on your selections.
I Am... Air Fryer Eggs
I’m forever looking for ways to improve my egg game and I think these air fryer eggs just did it. I love eggs. Fried, boiled, jammy, sous voided, scrambled, give me all the eggs, all the time. I recently came across an amazing way to make boiled eggs, no water required. Inspired by people who hard boil bake their eggs, I thought to myself, why not air fry? I haven’t tried hard boiling eggs in the oven, but an air fryer is like a mini oven and you don’t need to preheat it so I figured it was a win. My life is changed. No more waiting for water to boil and the eggs crack perfectly every time. No water, just eggs and an air fryer. We use our air fryer for so many things: fried chicken, tacos, steak, bacon, I guess it was just a matter of time until we used it for eggs too. It couldn’t be simpler, just put your eggs straight from the fridge into the air fryer basket, set it, then forget it. When the air fryer timer goes off, plunge the eggs into an ice bath or cold water, peel and you’re in egg heaven. I’ve done them at all different times and I love them most at medium, which is what I like to use in egg salad and as a snack.
How to make air fryer eggs
- Place cold eggs into the air fryer basket.
- Cook them for 9-15 minutes depending on your yolk preference at 250°F.
- Plunge immediately into cold water or an ice bath.
- Peel and enjoy.
How many eggs can I make in an air fryer?
As many as you want! You can make one, or up to 6. Just give the eggs a little bit of room between them so they have enough heat circulation so they’re evenly cooked.How do you like your eggs?
I like them all! Every doneness has a purpose. I love a softie egg with toast, jammy eggs to eat on their own, and hard boiled for making deviled eggs.How long to air fry eggs
- Soft boiled: For just set whites and a very runny yolk you need 9 minutes at 270°F.
- Medium boiled: For medium boiled eggs medium firm whites and a jammy yolk you need 10 minutes at 270°F.
- Hard boiled: For hard boiled eggs with firm whites and a fully set not chalky yolk you need 13 minutes at 270°F.
Tips
- Make sure you use eggs straight from the fridge so they cook evenly.
- Plunge the eggs in an ice bath to stop them from cooking.
- Crack them on the fat end then roll them around and peel.
Every air fryer is different
Be sure to experiment with cook times because each air fryer is a different size with a different wattage and even how many eggs you place in the basket will affect the cook time. Give one or two eggs a try at first, hone in the timing, then go to town and meal prep ALL THE EGGS.Don't have an air fryer but have an instant pot?
Try this recipe!How to eat boiled eggs
Boiled eggs are the perfect snack. Full of protein, filling, flavorful, quick and easy. I like them with:- salt and freshly ground pepper
- topped with freshly chopped herbs
- drizzled with chili oil
- topped with everything bagel spice
- topped with pesto
- sprinkled with bacon bits
- sprinkled with furikake
Recipes that use boiled eggs
- ultra creamy deviled eggs
- egg and yogurt breakfast bowl
- oven roasted steak with chimichurri eggs
- ramen eggs
- egg salad sandwiches or this style too
Air fryer eggs
Perfect eggs every time in the air fryer, faster than boiling because you don't need to wait for the water.
- air fryer
- eggs (as many as needed)
Place the eggs, straight from the fridge into the air fryer basket, leaving space between the eggs. Air fry at 270°F for 9-13 minutes depending on how you want your yolks done.
Soft - 9 minutes
Jammy - 10 minutes
Medium - 11 minutes
Hard - 13 minutes
When the time is up, plunge into cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking, then when cool enough to handle, peel and enjoy.
Estimated nutrition based on 1 large egg.
I Am... Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot butter chicken is savory and saucy and perfect with rice and naan for soaking up that delicious tomato-y buttery sauce. Butter chicken is one of those dishes that holds a special spot in my heart. It was one of Mike and I’s go-to dishes to make and eat when we first moved in together. I wasn’t much of a cook back then but we both had a love of Indian food and when we wanted to stay in and play house, we would buy jarred butter chicken sauce and heat up some chicken and naan and have a cute night in of “cooking” even though it was more like heating up. I’m much more adept at cooking now and Indian food is still one of those things we love to make and eat. Sometimes I’ll go all out and make a 24 hour dal and homemade naan but sometimes we’ll want something quick, easy, and flavorful without much fuss. For those days, it’s always Instant Pot butter chicken.
How to make Instant Pot butter chicken
- Add. To the insert of the Instant Pot, add a can of diced tomatoes along with the garlic, ginger, and spices. Stir everything together, then nestle in the chicken pieces, whole.
- Pressure cook. Pop the lid on and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to take the chicken out and set it aside on a plate.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until smooth. Or, carefully transfer to a blender and blend. When the sauce is smooth, let it cool slightly, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir. Stir in the butter, cream, then an extra bit of garam masala. The sauce should be lovely and thick, able to coat the back of a spoon.
- Simmer. Chop up the chicken into bite size pieces and add it back to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Set the pot to sauté on low and heat the chicken through and let the sauce bubble.
- Serve. Enjoy with freshly chopped cilantro!
Ingredients
- Diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are the base of butter chicken. Please use diced tomatoes and not tomato paste or sauce - diced tomatoes tend to have a lot more liquid in them which is key for the Instant Pot. You’ll want to add in the ENTIRE can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic adds so much flavor. Use a garlic press for extra ease.
- Ginger. Fresh ginger adds heat and a bit of warming spice.
- Spices. Turmeric, cayenne pepper, ground paprika, cumin. These are spices that you’ll probably have hanging out in the pantry. Make sure they’re fresh!
- Garam masala. This is a mix of spices that varies greatly from spice mix to spice mix but usually contains: fennel, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and red chili powder. You can make your own, but you can also buy a mix at the store.
- Chicken. Chicken thighs are best because they cook up juicy and tender.
- Butter. It wouldn’t be butter chicken without butter. Go for unsalted so you can control the saltiness of your butter chicken.
- Heavy cream. Full fat whipping cream adds luxurious creaminess and mixes with the redness of the tomatoes to butter chicken its iconic golden color.
What is butter chicken?
Butter chicken, known as murgh makhani, is a chicken curry made with tomatoes, spices, butter, and cream. It’s mild and creamy and so incredibly delicious. It’s a fairly new curry, developed by a restaurant group called Moti Mahal in India.Is this authentic butter chicken?
Yup, I would say so! This recipe is based off of Urvashi Pitre’s butter chicken and she has had a whole lifetime of making and eating it. Butter chicken is an Indian dish, very popular in North India and also widely eaten in South India.Urvashi Pitre’s Instant Pot butter chicken is perfection:
- it’s quick and easy, you basically put everything in the Instant Pot and turn it on
- it’s full of SO much flavor, creamy, just a touch of heat, and so delicious
- it’s authentic because Urvashi Pitre is essentially known as “the butter chicken lady”
Why does butter chicken taste so good?
Curry chicken is the ultimate comfort food and butter chicken is the most comforting curry because it’s warm and cozy, full of savory flavors that aren’t too spicy. The cream and tomatoes play off each other perfectly. The tomatoes add umami and acidity and the cream counters the acidity and adds a lovely texture and the added bonus of tempering the the heat of the spices.What is the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala?
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are very similar with distinctly different flavors. Butter chicken is creamier and not as spicy. Chicken tikka masala is more tomato-y and doesn’t have as much dairy. They’re both delicious!Tips and tricks
- There no need to add extra water. Lots of water will cook out from the chicken so you don’t need to add extra water to the pot. If you do, your sauce will be thin.
- Let the sauce cool slightly before adding the butter and cream
- Finish with garam masala. Adding garam masala at the end makes all the difference. The garam masala added at the end adds a fresh burst of spice.
- If you’re getting a “burn warning” it’s probably because your diced tomatoes don’t have enough liquid. In this case, adding 1/4 cup chicken stock will help, but making sure you use a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, including all the liquid in the can, is best!
What to serve with butter chicken
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot butter chicken is savory and saucy and perfect with rice and naan.
- instant pot
- 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can, undrained)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless skinless, or thighs)
- 1/2 cup butter (cubed)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, cumin, and salt in the Instant Pot. Stir throughly and nestle the chicken in.
Put the lid on and set the pressure to high for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then depressurize.
Carefully open the lid and remove the chicken. Use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until smooth. Alternately, carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Let cool slightly for 3-5 minutes then stir in the butter, cream, the last teaspoon of garam masala. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Roughly chop the chicken then add back into the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to sauté on low, letting the chicken heat through. Top with the cilantro and enjoy with basmati and naan!
via The New Yorker
I Am... Mini Beef Wellington
These little mini beef wellington guys are just like the real deal, but mini. Do you ever find yourself obsessed with TV shows? It happens to me a lot, especially if I have the self-restraint to wait until a show is completed so I can binge watch. There's something so satisfying about clicking next episode over and over again until you've reached the conclusion.
Read More →
I Am... Paella Recipe
Paella has bits of everything I love: rice, seafood, and most importantly socarrat: crispy crunchy toasted rice bits. Have you ever been obsessed with a dish even though you’ve never eaten it? For me, that dish was paella. It was one of those food bucket list items – I don’t remember how or why I became so obsessed with having paella from its birthplace of Valencia, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that paella is so pretty and such an iconic dish. It’s so iconic that people around the world think of it as the quintessential Spanish dish, even though it’s actually more Valencian. I mean, Valencia is ultimately in Spain, so it’s all good to me. Many years ago, Mike and I went to Valencia and the first thing we ate was paella. We literally got off the train and went to a paella restaurant. On the way there, there were a bunch of Valencian orange trees that had some pretty tempting looking oranges but apparently the orange trees that line the streets of Valencia are not the same sweet ones that they use for juice. Anyway, the paella in Spain was as good as I imagined. So good that all of our meals in Valencia were either paella or Spanish churros dipped in chocolate. We actually ate 3 different paellas that day. The paella was all things good: juicy seasoned meats, tender-crisp beans, and the best part, saffron scented rice with crispy toasty rice bits. It was a dream come true.
What is paella?
Paella, pronounced pay-EH-yah! is a rice dish made in a shallow, wide pan over an open fire. Paella means “frying pan” in Valencian. Traditionally, paella includes short grain rice, beans, rabbit, chicken, and saffron, but nowadays there are a huge number of variations, from seafood to vegetarian. I made a mixta paella here, which is essentially a mixed paella that has meat, seafood, and vegetables.How to make paella
- Soak the saffron. This will release both color and aroma. Pop some saffron into a small bowl with hot water and set aside.
- Sear the proteins. Heat up some olive oil in your paella pan over medium high heat and give your proteins a quick sear: the chicken goes in skin side down and the chorizo gets browned. Shrimp gets a quick toss in before being removed so it doesn’t over cook.
- Sweat the aromatics. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the liquids. Carefully add chicken stock and the saffron water and bring everything to a boil. Flip the chicken skin side up so it’s pretty.
- Add the rice. Time to sprinkle in the rice! Try to add it in a thin, even layer and use a spoon to spread it out if you need to. Let everything come to a simmer and cook, uncovered until the rice absorbs almost all the liquid.
- Add the seafood. Nestle in the clams and add the shrimp back on top.
- Cook on low until the clams open up and the rice is al denote.
- Socarrat time! Turn the heat up to high for 1-2 minutes to create a crispy toasty crunchy rice crust.
- Rest and enjoy. Cover the paella with some foil and let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying.
Paella Ingredients
Rice
Because paella is truly all about the rice, the rice is the most important ingredient. Bomba rice, from Spain, is the best choice. It absorbs 3 times as much liquid than regular rice giving it 3 times as much flavor when all the liquid is absorbed. Plus cooked right, it stays firm and al dente. You can usually find bomba rice at Whole Foods or online.Smoked Spanish Paprika
Smoked paprika comes in sweet and bittersweet, go for sweet smoked Spanish paprika. It adds smokiness, aroma, and color.Protein
There’s a lot of controversy about what kind of protein goes into paella. If you’re not super concerned about authenticity you can customize your paella and put anything you want it. If you’re going with chorizo try to get a Spanish chorizo, which is dried and cured. But if you only have Mexican chorizo available, I think that’s okay too. Purists say that chorizo will overwhelm the other flavors, but we’ve had multiple paella in Valencia with (and without) chorizo, so it’s a personal choice. Other proteins you can use include chicken, pork, seafood, or really, anything you can dream of.Vegetables
Most paella has vegetables in it, especially the paella we had while we were in Valencia. Usually it’s some sort of green bean, a variety that isn’t so common here in North America. You can sub in other green beans, add peppers, asparagus, artichokes, peas, olives, beans, chickpeas, really, it’s like the proteins, go wild!Stock
A nicely seasoned stock as this is what’s going to add flavor to the insides of your bomba rice. That being said, if you’re salt adverse, I would do low sodium stock and then season afterwards. If you have the time, make a homemade seafood/shellfish or chicken stock, which makes it even easier to control the seasoning and flavor.Saffron
Saffron is what gives paella its gorgeous golden hue. The orange-red threads are earthy, floral, and add a distinct flavor. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. You only need about 1/2 teaspoon but it definitely adds to the overall flavor, so don’t skip out on it. Look for saffron threads that are deep red-orange and evenly colored. Saffron is sold in most large grocery stores and specialty food stores and of course, online.Paella pan
If you want the all important toasty rice bits, or socarrat, you’re going to need a paella pan. The width of a paella pan helps with rice distribution, ensuring that the rice cooks in a thin layer. A pan that feeds two is generally about 10-12 inches and a pan that serves eight is about 18 inches. The most popular pan sizes are 14 and 16 inches, which feed 4-6. Which size pan you get depends on how many people you plan to feed. The wider the pan, the more people it feeds. They even have pans that are 4 feet wide! Years ago, around Christmas, Mike and I were in London and we saw two giant paella pans at Covent Garden. The saffron deliciousness wafting through the chilly air was so tempting so we decided to join the huge queue for a taste. I’m sure Hola Paella (now closed forever) wasn't the most authentic paella in London, but it attracted a lot of attention and was a perfect snack to warm us up on a cold day.What if I don’t have a paella pan?
If you’re wondering, can I use a cast iron skillet to make paella, the answer is yes! As long as you’re using the right rice, you can definitely use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets are somewhat wide and conduct heat well, making them great for making paella. Use the biggest and widest cast iron pan you have so you can spread your rice out.Paella in a frying pan
If you have a craving for paella and you don’t have a paella pan or a cast iron pan you can make it in a frying pan. Spanish people might look down on you, but hey, you do you! I’ve definitely made paella in a frying pan in a pinch and it tastes good. You can use a non-stick or regular frying pan but if you’re using non-stick, make sure you don’t go too high on the heat. It really shouldn’t be a problem, especially with paella since you don’t use a huge amount of high heat anyway - keep it to medium high. If you’re looking for socarrat in a regular frying pan, my tip is keep it on low heat for a long time, until the moisture cooks out and you get crispy bottoms. If you are going to try this in a frying pan, I recommend halving it because the recipe as per below will not fit in your standard 12 inch frying pan.What rice should I use?
Paella should be made with Bomba or Calasparra rice, medium grain rices grown in Spain. Spanish rice is chubby and round, ideal for absorbing large amounts of liquid while still staying somewhat firm. You want your rice kernels stay separate and not creamy or mushy. The rice really is the best part of a paella. I can eat loads and loads of that smoky, saffron flavoured rice and I have. I made a giant pan for Mike, myself and a good friend thinking there would definitely be leftovers (I used a pan that serves 6-8), but the three of us polished it off in one sitting. We totally fell into simultaneous food comas afterwards, but it was worth it. The best part was that there was more than enough socarrat to go around.What is socarrat?
Socarrat is the essential layer of crispy crunchy toasted rice at the bottom of the pan when you cook your paella just right. Most people consider it the best parts. It’s caramelized and toasty and nutty and has all the flavors of paella concentrated.Paella FAQ
What are the different kinds of paella?
- Valencian: The classic Valencia version with rabbit, chicken, lima beans, long beans, snails, and rosemary.
- Seafood/paella de marisco: A seafood version with no meat. It tends to be a bit more liquidy because seafood releases a lot of delicious juices. It usually has prawns, mussels, calamari, and clams.
- Mixed/mixta paella: A mix between Valencian and marisco with meat and seafood. It’s the most popular of all.
- Paella negra: Immediately recognizable with it’s inky black rice. It’s made with squid ink and is a Spanish favorite.
- Vegetarian/paella vegetariana: Loads of vegetables like artichokes, lima beans, and red and greens peppers. Sometimes you’ll find chickpeas and potatoes too.
Should you presoak the rice?
There’s no reason to soak the rice. Soaking the rice will make it more likely to be overcooked and mushy.Do you stir while cooking?
Nope, no stirring required. Paella is not risotto and stirring will give your rice a creamy texture instead of the crispy socarrat you’re looking for.Do you cover the pan when cooking?
Unlike other rice dishes, you don't need to cover the pan. The rice can only reach its signature al dente texture if the moisture can escape. This also makes the best the crispy socarrat.What is paella sauce?
In Valencia, no paella is complete without a side of paella sauce or garlic aioli. The creamy, garlicky sauce is reminiscent of mayo and goes perfectly with the smoky, flavorful rice. To make garlic aioli, place 1 cup neutral oil, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp dijon, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1 clove garlic into an immersion blender cup. Use an immersion blender and blend until combined and thick. Season with salt to taste.How to reheat
The best way to reheat paella is in a pan on the stove top. Take the leftovers out of the fridge and let it come to room temp for about 30 minutes before you reheat. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then spread out the paella. Let it crisp, stirring occasionally until it is heated through. You can also heat it up in the microwave, stirring and heating as needed, about 1-2 minute on high.What else can I use a paella pan for?
You can use it for cooking anything that will do well with a wide, flat cooking surface. It’s perfect for searing meats, using as a roasting pan, or even stir-fry. I hope you guys give this recipe a try. smoky saffron rice and crispy bits forever, xoxo stephPaella Recipe
Paella even has its own emoji!
- medium-sized paella pan
- 30 threads saffron (lightly crushed, about 1/2 tsp)
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (high heat such as grapeseed preferred)
- 2 links Spanish chorizo (sliced)
- 4 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 10-12 large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 small onion (minced, about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 3 medium tomatoes (diced or grated, about 2 cups, see notes)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 6 cups chicken broth (no sodium preferred)
- 2.5 cups bomba rice
- 1 red or orange pepper (sliced into 1" strips)
- 12 clams
Stir the saffron into 1⁄4 cup hot water in a small bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes.
In a 16″–18″ paella pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and the chicken, skin side down. Add the the shrimp and cook, flipping occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving the meats to sear in the pan.
Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add the saffron and 4 cups of chicken stock. Flip the chicken so it’s skin side up and bring everything to a boil over high heat.
Sprinkle in the rice, distributing evenly, then add the peppers on top. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12-15 minutes. If the pan is larger than the burner, rotate it every two minutes to evenly distribute the heat. Once the stock is low enough, add the remaining 2 cups chicken stock.
Reduce heat to low, and top with the cooked shrimp. Nestle in the clams, hinge side down. Continue to cook, without covering or stirring, until the clams opened and the rice absorbs the liquid and is al dente, 5–10 minutes more. Turn heat to high for 1-2 minutes to create the socarrat. Remove pan from heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 minutes before enjoying.
Paella is totally customizable so feel free to make this dish vegetarian, all seafood, or all meats.
You also can grate the tomatoes on the largest holes of a box grater. Be careful and discard the skin afterwards.
I Am... How to make Ebi Fry
Ebi fry (ebi furai in Japanese) aka panko shrimp is a beloved dish in Japan and in my opinion, is the cutest shrimp dish of them all. Ebi fry is often served in bento or with teishoku meal sets. It’s a favorite of children and adults alike. So much so that there is a character much like Hello Kitty but a deep fried shrimp called Ebi Fry no Shippo. Panko shrimp is delicious and cute! That extra crispy crunchy crust coating plump and juicy shrimp is sure to bring a smile to your face. Ebi fry might be my ultimate fried shrimp. I love the delicate flavor and texture of shrimp tempura but there’s something about that thick and crunchy bread coat that really does it for me. I guess I’m just the kind of person who loves deep fried foods like chicken strips and fries. Whenever I see ebi shrimp on the menu, I have to get it. It’s the perfect textural counter point to fluffy white rice and it’s AMAZING with Japanese curry rice. I love eating it on its own too, with kewpie mayo, Japanese tartar sauce or even Japanese egg salad.
What is Ebi Fry/Panko shrimp
Ebi fry (エビフライ) aka panko shrimp is shrimp that has been coated in flour, egg, then panko, and then deep fried. It’s a crispy breaded shrimp that is a super popular main dish served with rice or bento component. It’s similar to katsu, but shrimp.How to make ebi fry
- Clean. Peel the shells off the shrimp, devein, and clean the tails. More on that below.
- Straighten. Gently cut about a quarter of the way through the belly of the shrimp and push down to flatten it out so it fries up nice and straight.
- Bread. Dip the shrimp into flour, egg, panko, then again into the flour, egg, and panko so you get a double coating.
- Deep fry. Add the coated shrimp to hot oil and cook, flipping as needed until crispy and golden brown.
- Enjoy. Enjoy as is, dipped in sauce, or as part of a rice plate or bento!
How to clean shrimp
- Peel the shell off, leaving the tail attached.
- Devein the shrimp by carefully slicing through with a small sharp knife to the vein and removing.
- Cut the tail of the shrimp on a diagonal.
- Squish out any water left in the tail with the edge of the knife.
How to straighten shrimp
On the bottom side of the shrimp (it’s belly) lightly score three to four times, at even intervals. Turn the shrimp so it’s belly down and press the shrimp onto your cutting board, flattening it out into a long, straight line.Panko shrimp ingredients
- shrimp - I like to use large shrimp, at lease 16-20 size. The larger size shrimp stay juicer and are more impressive when you serve them.
- flour - a little bit of flour helps the egg stick to the shrimp so you can get a nice even coat.
- egg - it’s what allows the panko to stick to the shrimp and gives you an extra crispy coat.
- panko - Japanese breadcrumbs that deep fry up to a delicious crispy coat. More on them below.
- oil - choose a neutral high heat oil like rice bran, canola, or grapeseed.
What is panko?
Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs. They’re vastly different from regular breadcrumbs – fluffier, larger, and made from crustless white bread. The irregular flakes of panko are what make katsu so crunchy. They’re dryer, flakier, and absorb less oil. Panko is actually super interesting and a big deal in Japan. Dedicated panko factories bake bread to different panko specifications. You can get fresh panko, dried panko, and different sized flakes. They even have different ways of baking the bread, either oven baked or electrically baked using currents. A lot of restaurants get fresh panko delivered to them daily.Where to buy panko
Panko is sold in most grocery stores in the Asian aisle but it’s cheaper to buy it at an Asian grocery store. You can also get it online. I prefer Japanese brands of panko, sometimes you’ll see something labeled panko but it looks like regular breadcrumbs. Take a look at the package and buy panko with large, irregular, shards that are flat. You can even make your own!How to set up a panko breading station:
Just like how you bread chicken you need flour, egg, and panko.- Set up three shallow dishes that are able to fit the shrimp.
- Put flour in one dish, lightly beaten egg in the next dish, and panko in the last dish.
- Dip the shrimp in the flour, coating all sides. Shake off the excess flour and place it in the egg.
- Use your other hand to turn the shrimp in the egg, making sure it’s coated all over.
- Shake off any excess egg and place the shrimp in the panko. Repeat the steps to double coat the shrimp, being sure to gently adhere the panko all over. Shake off the excess panko and you’re ready to cook!
How to deep fry panko shrimp
Heat up at least 2 inches of high heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat until it reaches 350°F or a pair of unchoated wooden chopsticks bubbles gently when you put them in the hot oil. Carefully add the panko shrimp to the hot oil and cook, flipping occasionally until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on a wire rack.How to air fry panko shrimp
Before coating the shrimp in the panko, be sure to toast it to give it some color. Add the panko to a dry pan and toast over medium heat, stirring often. Drizzle on 1 tbsp neutral oil and stir until golden and toasty then remove from the pan immediately. Coat the shrimp as per below then air fry in an oiled air fryer basket at 360°F until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping half way.How to bake panko shrimp
Before coating the shrimp in the panko, be sure to toast it to give it some color. Add the panko to a dry pan and toast over medium heat, stirring often. Drizzle on 1 tbsp neutral oil and stir until golden and toasty then remove from the pan immediately. Coat the shrimp as per below then bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a 425°F oven for 12 minutes.Japanese tartar sauce
Japanese tartar sauce is a little different from the regular tartar sauce you’ve had because it has eggs in it! It has all the same tartar sauce ingredients you love like mayonnaise, pickles, and herbs, but it is extra rich because of the diced egg. To make Japanese tartar sauce, mix together 1/4 cup kewpie mayo, 2 finely diced hard boiled eggs, 2 tbsp finely diced pickle, 2 tbsp finely diced onion, finely chopped parsley, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.How to make an ebi fry bento
Ebi fry teishoku or set meals are a super popular choice in Japan. You usually get 2 to giant plump shrimp, tartar sauce, rice, soup, salad, pickles, and some small side dishes. Think of it like a panko shrimp bento. They make me SO happy. I just love the crunchy of the shrimp and the creaminess of the tartare sauce and the rice and cabbage go so well with everything. Seriously so good. Do yourself a favor and make a panko shrimp bento! You’ll need:- rice: a bowl of fluffy Japanese rice is the perfect accompaniment for crunchy, juicy shrimp.
- cabbage: thinly sliced cabbage is a must for panko fried things like panko shrimp, chicken katsu, or tonkatsu.
- cucumbers: some slices of cucumber to add some crunch and greenness.
- tomatoes: just a couple of cherry tomatoes for cuteness and a bit of sweet freshness.
- tartar sauce: see above for a Japanese take on tartar sauce. Sometimes I like to serve panko shrimp with Japanese egg salad as a condiment too.
- optional: Japanese pickles or small side dishes like miso soup, tamagoyaki, a couple of gyoza, or edamame.
Panko Shrimp
This extra crispy plump and juicy shrimp is sure to bring a smile to your face.
- 12 prawns (extra large preferred, see notes)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 cups panko
- 3 cups neutral oil (high heat for deep frying, see notes)
To Serve
- 1 cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cucumber (sliced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup tartar sauce (Japanese preferred, see notes)
Peel the shell off the prawns, leaving the tail on. Devein and make three shallow cuts on the bottom of the prawn to straighten it out. Pat dry with paper towels then season generously with salt and pepper.
Dredge the prawns in flour, then egg, then back into flour, egg, and finally panko, pressing to adhere. Repeat the breading process so the shrimp are double coated.
Heat the oil to 350°F and when hot, add the prawns, 2-3 at a time and deep fry, 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping as needed. Drain on a wire rack.
Enjoy with cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, and Japanese tartar sauce.
Buy the largest prawns you can find, look for a number like "16-20" or lower on the package.
High heat oils include refined peanut oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower/safflower oils.
To make Japanese tartar sauce: combine 1/4 cup kewpie mayo, 2 finely diced hard boiled eggs, 2 tbsp finely diced pickle, 2 tbsp finely diced onion, finely chopped parsley, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
I Am... Hot Cross Buns
Making homemade hot cross buns is an accomplishment, one that you can do, easier than you think! These deliciously cinnamon spiced yeasted buns are buttery and plush, full of dried cherries and melty white chocolate. The perfect twist on an Easter treat.
Quick and Easy
Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny two a penny hot cross buns! I’m sure you know the song - it always always gets stuck in my head around Easter. There’s a local bakery chain in town that specializes in hot cross buns and back in the day when samples were a thing, I would always choose the hot cross bun sample when we were buying bread. Their buns are so popular that they sell them year round and I love them so much. Of course it’s super simple to head to the bakery to buy hot cross buns (or even order them online) but this year I thought I’d bake my own, based off of my favorite soft and fluffy dinner roll recipe. There’s something so satisfying about the smell of bread filling up the kitchen. The sweet sent of yeasted dough and cinnamon makes me feel super homey.What are hot cross buns?
Hot cross buns are an Easter classic. Little yeasted sweet buns with crosses on top date back to the 12th century and they were considered a treat marking the end of Lent, eaten on Good Friday. Nowadays, they are available year round, but are especially enjoyed around Easter.How to make hot cross buns
If you’ve made dinner rolls, you’re just one step away from making hot cross buns. Here’s how you do it:- Sprinkle yeast on to warm water and let foam.
- Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
- Stir the yeast, along with egg, into the flour mix until everything comes together into a ball of dough.
- Add the butter to the dough and knead the dough until smooth.
- Add the dried cherries and chocolate then pop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl so it can proof for an hour.
- After the dough is puffy and proofed, tip it out onto a floured surface and divide into 9 balls, place in a pan, and let proof until doubled.
- Bake until golden then pipe on some chocolate crosses. Enjoy!
Hot cross buns ingredients
These buns have pretty standard pantry ingredients: yeast, bread flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, egg, butter, dried cherries, and white chocolate chips.Bread flour
Bread flour is the key to fluffy, soft, and chewy buns. You might be tempted to just use all purpose, and well, you can do that, but if you use bread flour your rolls will be soft and fluffy with just the right amount of chew. Bread flour has a higher protein content than regular all purpose – the resulting dough has more gluten in it which helps the rolls stay soft and chewy.Yeast
This recipe uses active dry yeast which needs to be dissolved in a bit of liquid before using – in this case we’ll sprinkle it on to some warm water. If you have instant yeast, you can use it too, there won’t be much of a difference; your rolls might rise a bit faster, depending how warm your kitchen is.Dried cherries and white chocolate
Dried cherries add some sweet tartness that pairs exceptionally well with white chocolate and cinnamon. You can sub in your favorite dried fruits, more ideas below!How do hot cross buns taste?
Classically, hot cross buns are a soft, sweet, spiced yeasted bun usually made with dried fruit like raisins, sultanas, or currents. They’re soft, squishy, and not too sweet. Think of a slightly sweeter dinner roll studded with dried fruit. This particular bun is super soft and fluffy, scented with cinnamon and dotted with melty white chocolate and sweet dried cherries. The plush cinnamon buns remind me of cinnamon rolls, but not as sweet. They’re glazed with a bit of apricot jam for shine and finished with a melted white chocolate cross. If you like sweet dried cherries, caramelized white chocolate, soft and fluffy buttery buns, and cinnamon, you’ll love these hot cross buns!Variations
You can easily customize these buns with your favorite add-ins.- Classic: sultanas, raisins or currents
- Orange cranberry: dried cranberries and orange zest
- Blueberry dark chocolate: dried blueberries and dark chocolate
- Triple chocolate: a mix of white, dark, and milk chocolate
- Apple cinnamon: dried apples and extra cinnamon
- Strawberry matcha: dried strawberries, switch out the cinnamon for matcha
If you love soft and fluffy bread, try these recipes:
- the fluffiest cinnamon rolls, full of sweet brown sugar and cinnamon
- extra cheesy earthquake bread with a hidden cheesy center
- pull apart monkey bread with a sweet glaze
- cheesy garlic knots
- the best bread you could ever make
Hot Cross Buns
These hot cross buns studded with plump dried cherries and luscious melty chunks of white chocolate are incredibly soft, fluffy, and delicious.
- 8x8 inch pan
- 120 g water (warm, ~1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 250 g bread flour (~1 3/4 cups)
- 30 g sugar (~2 tbsp)
- 5 g cinnamon (~2 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 large egg (lightly beaten, see notes)
- 25 g butter (room temp, ~2tbsp)
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate (chopped, plus extra for crosses)
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
Sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and let proof. Meanwhile, in the bowl of your mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Whisk the egg into the foamy yeast mixture, then add the mix to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir together until everything comes into a ball. Switch to a dough hook and knead on low until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides.
Add the room temperature butter and continue to knead on medium-low, for about 10 minutes, until the dough reaches the windowpane stage – take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and stretch it out between your fingers and thumbs. If you can stretch it without the dough breaking and you can see through the stretched dough, you’re good to go. If the dough doesn’t windowpane, knead a bit longer. Knead in the cherries and white chocolate.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours; dough that has mix-ins takes longer to rise.
Take the dough and tip it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down lightly then divide into 9 equal portions. If you want to be precise, use your kitchen scale to see how much your dough weighs, then divide by 9. Shape the portions of dough by bring the edges towards the center and tucking into balls. Lightly grease a 8×8 baking pan and evenly space the buns. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly. Stir the apricot jam with 2 teaspoons of hot water and gently brush on top of the buns. Pipe on crosses with melted white chocolate and enjoy!
For 1/2 large egg, whisk a whole egg in a small bowl, then measure out half of the weight or just use 1 1/2 tablespoons of the whisked egg.
I Am... Easy Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
You’re 30 minutes away from the easiest air fryer (or oven baked) Korean fried chicken. If you’ve never tried it, its an extra crunchy double fried chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, all done up in an air fryer. It's like the best hot wings ever.
What is Korean fried chicken?
Korean fried chicken is double (and at some places, tripled) fried extra crispy wings and drummettes that are then coated in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. Today we are making the most common sauce, which is basically sweet and spicy. It’s like buffalo wings amped up with the power of gochujang.Air fryer Korean fried chicken
We've always loved the idea of making Korean fried chicken at home, but even with as much as we cook, deep frying is never fun, so we've never done it. Steph suggested using the air fryer, which I thought was a genius idea, and I developed this double air fry technique that produced a pretty darn crispy chicken that I think rivals the best of the best deep fried versions while being way healthier.How to make Korean fried chicken
The secret of Korean fried chicken is the double frying. Double frying in the air fryer works just as well as it does with deep frying, but way easier. The secret is to coat your chicken after the first fry using a spray/mist of oil. It's not totally necessary, but it really helps. To make Korean fried chicken in an air fryer:- Coat the chicken. I coated the chicken first with oil to help with heat transfer, then salt and pepper, then corn or potato starch, which is what Asian-style chicken is classically made with for a lighter, crispier outer shell.
- Air fry the chicken. 400ºF for 15 minutes. There’s no need to preheat the air fryer.
- Make the sauce. While the chicken is air frying, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients, then heating it up to a very slight boil (or even just microwaving it for a minute).
- Flip the chicken. When 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and continue air frying for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Double fry and sauce. After the chicken has cooled, spray it with oil again, then air fry it for the final time at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Remove and toss in sauce, then enjoy immediately.
How to make a lot of wings
Sometimes you need to make multiple pounds of wings. Air fryers tend to have small baskets that fit one pound just about perfectly. You could easily do small batches until you achieve your desired wing quantity, but there are a couple of other options. You can:- make multiple levels of wings with air fryer racks (be sure to buy the right size for your baskets), which we love. It takes a little more time and it's best if you swap the rack positions halfway for even browning, but it's amazing for doubling or tripling your air fryer wing output.
- use a baking sheet with a rack and an oven on convection mode to simulate a giant air fryer.
- use a baking sheet with a rack and a conventional oven, this will take longer (up to 30-50 minutes depending on how crispy you want your wings) but it's still a lot less labor than standing by the air fryer swapping out baskets of wings.
Korean fried chicken sauce
The magical sauce that goes on Korean fried chicken is a mixture of honey, brown sugar, gochujang, and ketchup. Really: ketchup is a very important ingredient if you want to keep things authentic. It's important to note that this is just one possible sauce – there are other sauces for Korean fried chicken out there, but this one (in America, at least) is the iconic one.What is gochujang?
Gochujang is very slightly spicy fermented Korean paste that goes great in everything. We also use it for our sweet and spicy gochujang honey roast chicken and potatoes, our 10 minute spicy beef weeknight stir fry udon, and our kimchi stew with mochi egg recipe.. Traditionally it comes in tubs, but these days you can find it in much more convenient squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of literally any grocery store.What if I don't have spray oil?
Spray oil is really good, cheap, and irreplaceable in the kitchen – especially if you have an air fryer. It's not worse for you than any other kind of oil, as long as you know when to use it and its limitations. We like a nice high smoke point propellant free oil, but you can use any oil you want (except olive because of its low smoke point) and you can even make your own.Deep/pan fry Korean fried chicken
If you don’t have an air fryer (they're pretty cheap these days though) you can easily do it the classic way: fry the chicken until golden brown, then remove and let cool a bit before dropping it back in for a few more minutes. Then toss in sauce.Oven baked korean fried chicken
If you don't have an air fryer, you can use an oven to bake these wings. Just follow the recipe as is, but preheat the oven to 425ºF and bake the wings on the middle rack for 30 minutes, then turn them and continue for another 10-20 minutes (50 minutes total). Toss them in the sauce once they are cool enough to handle.Will this sauce work with any kind of fried chicken?
Yes! If you are feeling lazy, you can just make the sauce and toss it in grocery store or chain fried chicken. It won’t be as good or quite the same, but still pretty awesome.How does it compare to delivery?
Korean fried chicken is available as a delivery, so why do all this work you ask? Because it's not really that much work, it's cheaper, and believe me, this chicken is going to knock the socks off the delivery stuff. -MikeAir Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
The greatest fried chicken in the world, hot and fresh at home via the power of air frying
- air fryer
- 1 lb chicken wings
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp corn starch
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp gochujang (see note)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 0.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 0.5 tbsp ginger (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Coat the chicken with the oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss with corn starch.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil or use a paper towel to wipe a thin coat of oil onto it. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry the chicken at 400ºF for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is air frying, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it comes to a brief boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and air fry another 5 minutes, then transfer the chicken onto a plate or rack to cool for 5 minutes.
After the chicken has cooled, spray the chicken with a very light coating of oil (optional), place the chicken back in the air fryer and fry another 5 minutes at 400ºF.
Toss in the sauce, making sure to get every nook and cranny. Enjoy immediately with wedges of lime and slices of green onion.
Gochujang is available at all supermarkets in the Asian aisle or online via Amazon.
I Am... Corn Cheese
Corn cheese is the ultimate snack. Here’s why you need to make corn cheese today:
A piping hot skillet served at the table with steam still wafting up is the best thing. I love how it can be a snack, side, or even a main dish.
If you’ve been to Korean BBQ or out for Korean food and drinks, I’m sure you’ve come across Korean corn cheese. That gloriously golden, cheesy, stringy, hot, and delicious mess of sweet corn and cheese served in a skillet or a little special dish around the grill. It’s sweet, salty, creamy, gooey, and SO delicious. And the best part is that it is the easiest side dish to put together.What is corn cheese 콘치즈?
Corn cheese is the best KBBQ side dish. I love melty cheese and I love corn and the combination is just out of this world. Essentially it’s a combination of canned corn, butter, mayo, sugar, and cheese baked up until golden and warm. It’s a classic Korean anju or drinking food. You just scoop it out with a spoon and pop the deliciousness into your mouth. It’s like fondue but with bits of sweet corn in it: sweet, savory, and cheesy.Why does Korean corn cheese taste so good?
The combination of sweet kernels of corn, the creaminess of mayo, and the meltiness of the cheese combines together into a sweet and savory dish that is out of this world. It has a balance of flavors, textural contrast, and it’s fun to make and eat. Don’t sleep on corn cheese, it’s amazing!
How to make corn cheese
- Gather your ingredients. Drain your corn, melt the butter, measure out the mayo and sugar.
- Stir everything together. In a bowl, mix everything together then taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake. Top with some extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden.
- Enjoy!
Corn cheese ingredients
- Corn - I like to use canned corn. It’s super sweet and it’s what they use in restaurants. You can also use fresh or frozen corn, more on that below.
- Butter - Butter and corn just go together.
- Mayo - The best mayo to use is Kewpie mayo, it has so much flavor and deliciousness.
- Sugar - A little bit of sugar highlights the sweet and savory combination of corn and cheese.
- Cheese - Melty mozzarella is the best cheese to use but you can use any melty cheese, it’ll just change the flavor. Mozzarella is good because it’s super mild and highlights the flavor of the corn.
How to eat
This is usually served as a side dish or appetizer or alongside alcohol. If you’re doing a whole Korean BBQ party, you can serve it along with all the other banchan. Or, serve it on its own with some ice cold beer or soju as the best drinking snack.What kind of corn
Usually they use canned corn in Korea, but you can use fresh corn too. If you’re using fresh in season corn, simply cut it off the cob and sauté it for a bit longer in the butter. You can also use frozen corn as well.What kind of cheese
Mozzarella is the meltiest, stretchiest cheese and is what is usually used but you can go for any melty cheese: colby, harvarti, swiss, fontina, monterey jack, provolone, American. Imagine corn cheese with melty cheese hot from the oven and then burrata torn on top?! The creaminess!Variations
This is usually a pretty simple dish, but the beauty of it is that you can add in so many things! Try:- diced onions
- diced chilis
- crispy bacon
- bulgogi
- tteokbokki
- Korean fried chicken
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of corn?
I like to use canned corn because it’s easy and it tastes good. Canned corn has all the nutrients of fresh, it’s picked at the height of ripeness, and it’s actually cheaper than fresh corn. Frozen corn works too, just be sure to defrost it and drain it well. After canned and frozen comes fresh, but you have to peel the husks and cut it off the cob. I feel like fresh corn is best enjoyed grilled or on the cob.
Do I need a skillet?
Nope, you can just any oven safe dish as long as it can withstand the heat. I like to use a skillet because it retains the heat longer and keeps the cheese hot and melty, but any casserole dish will work great.
Where do they serve corn cheese?
They serve corn cheese at most Korean BBQ places and also at drinking places and bars. It’s considered anju, which means food you eat with alcohol. Anju foods are usually delicious addictive foods that pair well with soju and beer.
I hope you have some soon. It’s truly comforting and will make you feel cozy and good inside! xoxo stephCorn Cheese
a gloriously golden, cheesy, hot, and delicious mess of sweet corn and cheese.
- 15 oz corn (drained well, 1 can )
- 1/4 cup mayo (Kewpie preferred)
- 1 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, mix together the drained corn, mayo, melted butter, sugar, and half of the cheese. If desired, stir in 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Scoop the corn mix into an ovenproof dish or skillet and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melty. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes until the top is toasty and brown. Remove and enjoy!
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