Korean Paella
Chef Peter Lee
Secret Bao
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Chef Peter Lee of pan-Asian restaurant, Secret Bao, gives classic Spanish paella a Korean spin by flavoring it with kimchi, gochujang and soy sauce. Pickled shiitakes, dashi and furikake add more Asian accents, and tofu and pork belly stand in for the usual seafood or chicken.
Ingredients
Pickled shiitakes
4 large shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and cut into small cubes
Paella
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. pork belly, cut Into 1-inch chunks
1 cup short-grain rice
1/2 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. gochujang sauce
7 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 qt. chicken stock
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dashi granules
2 sunnyside-up fried eggs
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 tbsp. furikake
4 tbsp. mayonnaise
Steps
- For shiitakes, wash and slice mushrooms. In medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger; bring to boil. Add mushrooms and bring back to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (May be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
- To prepare paella, heat an 11-inch paella pan over medium heat. Add oil and sear pork belly on all sides. Stir in rice, kimchi and gochujang, being careful not to burn the ingredients, lowering the heat slightly if needed.
- Add chicken stock, soy sauce, dashi and tofu; gently stir to mix ingredients. Increase heat to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Once the stock is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until stock has reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until all of stock is absorbed by rice. The mixture should form socarrat (crunchy rice) on the bottom of the pan. If necessary, increase heat slightly and cook for a few minutes more, being careful not to burn the rice.
- When you have a deep golden brown and crunchy socarrat, remove from heat. Sprinkle with furikake and scallions and garnish each serving with pickled shiitakes, lemon wedges, mayo and fried eggs.
Photo courtesy of Kikkoman