Grilled Korean Shrimp

Last Year's Post: Coconut Chicken Fingers
Two Years Ago:   Ravioli with Fresh Corn

If you like Korean food or spicy food in general, you'll love these shrimp.  The sauce gives them big, bold flavor with enough kick to make your lips tingle for a few minutes so be sure to serve them with a nice cold beverage. I particularly like the look of the shrimp and onions after grilling.

They're very quick and easy to make (no marinating) and would be perfect as part of a summer grilling party - serve one or two shrimp with green onions on mini-skewers for each person.  Larger skewers could be served over a big green salad, or with fried rice, or as I did over a tangle of noodles with garlic, olive oil and parsley.

The Lawyer said this picture looks like music.  :-)

The only unusual ingredient is Gochujang, which is a thick, dark red Korean spice paste that's essential to Korean cooking.  At one time I would have hesitated to post a recipe using it, but I recently found it in the Asian section of my local Fry's store so it's getting much easier to find.  If your grocery store doesn't carry it, you can find it at your local Asian market.

One of my favorite parts of the recipe is the green onion - crispy-charred and spicy from the basting sauce, they taste sort of like spicy fried onions.  This is a unique and unusual twist on grilled shrimp that's completely delicious.

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Grilled Korean Shrimp

Serves 4

16 colossal (U10-12) or 20 extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 green onions, trimmed, white and light green part cut into 2 inch lengths

Kosher salt

Gochujang sauce

1/4 cup Gochujang paste (Korean red pepper paste.)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Wooden skewers, soaked

  

Using 2 skewers side by side, alternately thread on pieces of green onion and shrimp, beginning and ending with green onions. Sprinkle the skewers lightly on both sides with the kosher salt. Whisk the Gochujang sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400°F).

Put the skewers on the grill over direct medium-high heat and cook for three minutes. Flip the skewers and baste with the sauce.  Cook for another two minutes, flip the skewers, and baste again. Cook for one more minute. Remove the skewers to a platter, and brush one last time with sauce (or serve with additional leftover sauce on the side).   Serve hot or at room temperature.

Korean Rice Bowls

Last Year's Post:  Healthy Baked Apples
Two Years Ago:   Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Korean rice bowls with mixed vegetables are also called Bibimbap, which is fun to say  (BEE-beem-bop) but I figured most people wouldn't know what it meant, plus this recipe isn't completely authentic Bibimbap because I substituted hard-cooked eggs for the runny-egg-thing that manages to find its way onto everything these days.  If you like runny eggs, go for it.  (Some Bibimbap recipes actually use raw eggs that are mixed with the rest of the ingredients, ugh.)

The only unusual ingredient in the recipe is Gochujang hot pepper paste, which is a staple in Korean cooking.  You'll find it at your local Asian market.  It's pretty spicy so you only use a small amount, but it adds wonderful flavor and a little heat to the roasted squash.  If you can't find it or don't want to buy it just for this recipe, don't worry - just substitute harissa or sambal olelek or another hot sauce instead.  After all, it's just one component in the sauce for the squash, which in turn is just one part of the rice bowl.

The squash roasts along side the shiitake mushrooms for depth of flavor, then everything gets assembled on top of the rice.  Lime juice, soy sauce and more hot sauce are added at everyone's discretion so your own bowl can be as mild or hot as you like.  And very healthy!

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Korean Rice Bowls

Serves 4

1 teaspoon Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) or sambal oelek, plus more for the table

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into bite-sized pieces

Sea salt

7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut in half if large

2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more for the table

2 cups frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions

5 cups hot cooked white or brown rice

4 radishes, trimmed and sliced

2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

Black or white sesame seeds, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish
Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk Gochujang, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and sesame seeds in a medium bowl.  Add squash and toss to coat.  Spread in a single layer on one half of a large rimmed baking sheet.  In a second bowl, mix the shiitake mushrooms, remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.  Spread in a single layer on the other half of the baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are juicy and slightly shrunken, then remove them from the baking sheet and place it back in the oven until the squash is tender and browned on the edges, about 5 more minutes.  Sprinkle both with salt.

To serve, divide the rice between 4 bowls.  Top with squash, mushrooms, edamame, radishes, cabbage, and sliced egg.  Garnish with sesame seeds, lime wedges and green onions.  Serve, passing soy sauce and Gochujang (or sambal oelek) at the table.

Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Last Year's Post: Mixed Berry Jalousie
Two Years Ago:  Joanne Chang's Lemon Bars

At one point in my career I reported to a manager who liked to take job applicants to a restaurant for their interview.  Any restaurant would do as long as the food was particularly awkward or messy to eat - spaghetti or tacos, for example.  He claimed he liked to see how the applicants handled a stressful situation and whether they could maintain poise.  I think he just enjoyed watching those fresh young hopefuls struggle not to get spaghetti sauce all over their brand new suits.

Lettuce wraps would have qualified for his list.  They're right up there with tacos in terms of potential for messiness, but they're just as fun as tacos and a whole lot more healthy.  I've been on a major Korean food jag lately so I already had Gochujang paste sitting in my refrigerator for these Korean chicken wraps, but if you aren't familiar with it, you can find it in Asian markets and it looks like this.

It's one of those Korean food staples so if you like Korean food you'll find plenty of uses for it,  like these Korean sliders.  If you really don't want to buy it, you could substitute some other type of hot sauce to approximate the taste.  The overall flavor profile of the marinade should be slightly sweet, moderately spicy, somewhat salty from the soy sauce, and garlicky - classic bold Korean flavors.  The marinade will taste strong on its own but will be diluted somewhat when it's cooked on the chicken and then again when the other ingredients are added to the wraps.

Other than the marinated and cooked chicken, the wraps contain high-fiber brown rice and veggies so they're really good for you.  If you marinate the chicken and cook the rice in advance, they'll take all of ten minutes to make - just slice up the veggies while the chicken cooks.  They're equally good when the rice and chicken are hot, room temperature, or cold and make a great lunch for work the next day.  And they'll provide your co-workers with amusement at the lunch table as they watch you eat.

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Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce plus more for thinning

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 large cloves)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

12 Bibb lettuce leaves

24 English cucumber slices

4 radishes, sliced

4 green onions, diagonally sliced

Whisk the first six ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl; thin with a little additional soy sauce (if desired) and set aside.  Pour the remaining mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag and add the chicken slices; seal and toss around to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Cook rice according to package directions.

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add chicken and coat approximately 2 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked. Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken. 

To assemble, place 2-3 tablespoons of rice in each lettuce leaf; top with chicken, cucumber, radishes, and green onions.  Serve with reserved soy sauce mix on the side for drizzling.

Korean Sliders

Last Year's Post: Rustic Greens and Potato Pie
Two Years Ago:  Artisan Meatloaf

A new and unfamiliar ingredient can divide people into two camps just as fast as religion or politics.  There's the "I don't want to buy a new ingredient for just one recipe that I don't even know what it is or what it tastes like or where to find it" camp.  I call them the Uber-Practicals.  Then there's the "What's that ingredient?  I've never heard of it before!  I feel an adventure coming on!" camp.  I call them the Insatiably Curious with Possibly Not Enough To Do.  Guess which camp I fall in?

So, I've been on a Korean food kick lately and decided I wanted to make Korean sliders because I thought the bold flavors would work particularly well in slider form as opposed to a big burger.  Midway through my recipe research, I stumbled across Gochujang.  Hmmmmm.  Gochujang?  An opportunity to head to my local Asian market!    Turns out Gochujang is a hot pepper paste that's quite common to Korean cooking - at least it comes in a tub that's big enough that I assume they use it a lot.  This was the small sized tub - the large size was at least twice as large.  At least it wasn't expensive.

The description "hot pepper paste" gave me pause, but The Lawyer and I tasted it by itself before adjusting amounts in the recipe and our tongues didn't fall off.  The top of the tub characterized it as medium on the hotness scale, and I would agree.  I suggest starting with a smaller amount of Gochujang in the cabbage relish and sauce, then adjusting by tasting and adding more until you reach the heat level you like.  As written, I consider the sliders to be medium on the heat scale but everyone's tastes are different.

For you Uber Practicals, you can substitute Chili Garlic Sauce (easily found in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores) or Sriracha sauce or any hot pepper sauce you have on hand - just be sure to start with a small amount before adding more to your taste.

I decided to go with a cabbage relish on the top of the sliders that's vaguely reminiscent of kimchi, the Korean fermented cabbage dish that's spicy and sour.  This version is fresher, not as hot and not as sour plus it doesn't involve the addition of dried shrimp (bleh). If you're a Kimchi fan by all means feel free to substitute. 

A bit of the Gochujang goes in the cabbage relish, so it's slightly spicy and also has a vinegary bite.  Garlic, green onions and ginger go in the sliders (made with turkey so they're healthy) which are pan-browned and coated in a wonderful sauce made from Gochujang, sesame oil and soy sauce.  You can adjust the amount of heat you like by adding more or less Gochujang in both the cabbage and sauce.

Cucumber and radish add freshness and crunch, and a light coating of mayo adds creaminess and tones down the heat a bit.

I was really pleased with the way these came out.  If you like Korean food I hope you give them a try.  And by the way, they're perfect pub food with a cold beer.  Now what to do with the rest of the Gochujang?

printable recipe

Korean Sliders

Makes 8 sliders

Note:  Gochujang is a Korean hot pepper paste, commonly sold in a tub.  You’ll find it in the grocery aisles of your local Asian market.  If you can’t find it, chili garlic sauce may be substituted, which is readily available in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores.

3 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage

½ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided

2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided

4 teaspoons Gochujang, divided*

1 carrot, shredded

1 lb ground turkey

2 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup mayonnaise

4 radishes, sliced

8 thin cucumber slices

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

8 white or whole wheat slider buns

To make the cabbage relish, combine cabbage, ¼ cup green onions, rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon each garlic and ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon Gochujang.  Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or so to soften slightly and meld flavors.

To make the sliders, combine ground turkey, remaining ¼ cup green onions, remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.  Shape into 8 small patties; flatten like mini-burgers.

In a large non-stick pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add turkey patties and brown on both sides. 

While the patties are browning, in a small bowl mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon Gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.  When the patties are browned, drain off the fat (if necessary) and add sauce ingredients.  Turn the patties to coat with sauce and simmer on low, turning regularly, until the patties are nicely coated with sticky sauce and fully cooked through.

To assemble, lightly spread slider buns with mayonnaise and place cucumber and radish slices on the bottom of each.  Top with a turkey patty, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  With a slotted spoon, drain cabbage relish mixture slightly before placing some on top of each patty.  Serve the remaining cabbage relish on the side.

*If you’re unfamiliar with Gochujang, start with a smaller amount  and add more after tasting until you reach the heat level you prefer.