Cook like Cat Cora! The chef gave Us Weekly recipes for chicken skewers, lettuce wraps and more.
Scroll through to check out the Iron Chef star’s Korean food recipes:
Eggplant side dish (Gaji – namul)
1 pound of Korean eggplants (3-4 eggplants), caps removed and washed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, crushed
Directions:
1. Prep your steamer by adding 2 cups of water to it. Set heat to medium-high for it to boil, it should take about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut eggplants crosswise into 2 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the thicker pieces in half lengthwise.
3. When the water starts boiling, put the eggplants on the steamer rack and cover. Steam for 5 minutes over medium high heat.
4. Remove from the heat. Take out the steamed eggplant and transfer to a cutting board. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes until you can easily handle them.
5. Tear each piece into bite size pieces.
Make seasoning mixture:
1. Combine garlic, green onion, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, sesame oil in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
Put it together & serve:
1. Add the steamed eggplant to the bowl and mix well by hand or with the wooden spoon.
2. Sprinkle with the crushed sesame seeds and serve with rice.
Chicken Skewers (Dak Ggochi)
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut crosswise into 24 strips ( 3/4 inch wide)
12 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and halved
24 3-inch-long pieces scallion (from 2-3 bunches), white & light green parts only
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons Ssamjang (see Tips)
1. Combine mirin, tamari, sesame oil and garlic in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
2. Preheat grill to medium.
3. Toss mushrooms and scallions with olive oil and salt in a medium bowl. Thread scallions, chicken and mushrooms alternately onto each of 8 skewers, allowing a little space between each ingredient for even cooking.
4. Oil the grill rack. Grill the skewers, turning once, until the vegetables and chicken are charred and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total. Serve with Ssamjang.
Tips: Look for prepared Ssamjang—a thick spicy paste typically served with Korean lettuce wraps—at Korean markets or online. To make your own: Combine 1Ž2 cup doenjang, 1Ž4 cup mirin, 3 Tbsp. gochujang, 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil and 1 clove grated garlic in a small bowl.
Makes: 1 cup
To make ahead: Marinate chicken (Step 1) for up to 1 day.
Japchae (stir-fried noodles)
One package of dang myun/glass noodles
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 yellow onion
3 green onions
1 carrot
2 big handfuls of oyster mushrooms
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Sea salt and pepper
Lightly toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1. Soak dang myun in cold water for one hour. Strain. Boil for five minutes, then rinse in cold water. Use scissors to cut noodles into six-inch sections (roughly, a handful at a time). Set noodles aside.
2. Chop vegetables into thin slices. Saute all vegetables in cooking oil.
3. Combine all cooked vegetables and cooked noodles in a big bowl or pan. Add a tablespoon each of soy sauce, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
Tip: Pre-mix dressing in a squeeze bottle and dress salad to your preference. Dish can be held longer undressed and you can cut back on fat/sugar to make dish healthier.
4. Use a clean hand to thoroughly toss vegetables and noodles together until they’re well meshed. Season with sea salt, and pepper, to taste.
Serve hot or cold
Korean Lettuce wraps/ SSam
1 pound flank steak
1Ž4 teaspoon salt
1Ž4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced peeled cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1Ž4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1Ž2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the steak for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.
3. Combine the sliced steak, cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, mint, basil and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the steak mixture; toss well to coat. To serve, spoon a portion of the steak mixture into a lettuce leaf and roll into a “wrap.”
Make Ahead Tip: The steak mixture will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
TIP: To oil a grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.
TIP: People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled “gluten-free,” as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors. Tamari is a substitute for Soy Sauce.
Quick Kimchi
1 small head napa (Chinese) cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch squares (about 8 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1Ž4 cup water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 scallions, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1.Combine cabbage, garlic and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, oil, ginger, salt, sugar and crushed red pepper in a large bowl.
3.Add the cabbage, scallions and carrot to the bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate for about 25 minutes before serving.
Seasoned Bean Sprouts (side dish/savory snack)
1 pound kongnamul (soybean sprouts)
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste
To make spicy, add 1-2 tsp of Korean chili flake and 1 tbsp of soy sauce
Rinse the soybean sprouts twice in cold water, discarding any rotten beans or skins floating.
Add the bean sprouts to a medium size pot with salted water. Cover, and cook over high heat for about 7 minutes. (Do not open the lid until done.)
Drain quickly, and cool. (You can shock the sprouts in cold water to stop the cooking for an extra crunch, but not necessary.) Toss with the remaining ingredients. Taste a little and add more salt to your taste if needed.
Desserts
PATBINGSU (KOREAN SHAVED ICE DESSERT)
This dish is a bowl of ice (shaved or crushed in a food processor) topped with sliced fruit and red bean paste. Usually, it is topped with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, but can be omitted for a healthier treat.
Korean Melon Popsicle
2 Korean melons
juice of 1 lime
1/8 cup sugar
1. Peel the skin off the melon using a potato peeler. Halve the melon and remove the seeds and pith. Cut the flesh of the melon into small chunks.
2. Blend melon flesh with the lime juice and sugar until very smooth and runny.
3. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds.
4. Freeze until solid (about 2 hours).
Popular Korean Drinks:
Yuja Tea
Yujacha is a simple Korean tea made from the yuja fruit It’s fresh, sweet, tangy, and has a strong and unique citron flavor and aroma and is full of vitamin C.
The fresh fruit is nearly impossible to find outside of Korea, but readymade yujacha mix can be found in most Korean grocery stores.
If yuja isn’t available you can also substitute it with lemon. The great thing about yujacha is that you can drink the tea and eat everything in the cup except the seeds.
To make the tea, slice Yuja into thin slices and lightly coat with sugar to taste preference. Put a few slices in a cup and pour over with boiling water and let steep. Drink hot or cold
Persimmon Punch
This punch is very common in South Korea and can sometimes be served as a dessert
4-5 dried persimmons
5 cinnamon sticks
1Ž2 cup of ginger, sliced
1Ž4 cup of sugar
71Ž2 to 8 cups of water
pine nuts
Wash, peel, and slice 1/2 cup’s worth of ginger. Put it into a pot or kettle.
• Rinse 5 cinnamon sticks and put them into the pot.
• Add 7 1/2 to 8 cups of water and boil for 20 minutes over high heat.
• Lower the heat to medium and boil for another 25 minutes. If it boils over, take off the lid.
• Add 1 cup of sugar. Stir and cool it down.
• Remove the stem of the dried persimmons and wash thoroughly.
• Strain cinnamon sticks and sliced ginger in a colander.
• Pour it into a glass jar or glass bowl and add the persimmons.
• Put the lid on and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. It will keep in the fridge for more than 1 week.
