참치김치전 chamchi kimchi jeon (tuna kimchi patties)

Oh man, tuna kimchi patties.

My family is partially Korean, so a lot of my mother's recipes have been inspired by our Korean heritage.  The following recipe is my mother's twist on the beloved 'chamchi kimchi jjigae' which translates to tuna kimchi stew.  The stew is considered a staple in Korean cuisine and is typically served with a bowl of rice and some sides (Korean's are all about the sides).

I know tuna + kimchi may sound strange, but it's one of my favorite combinations.  There's a rich, umami flavor that comes from the fish and the kimchi's acidity adds the perfect amount of brightness.  It's like what pickles are to the burger.  You may decide to make this and think it's nothing special, but this is comfort food to me.  These tuna kimchi patties always remind me of home and my mom.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans/pouches tuna (lightly drained)*

1/2 firm tofu
1/2 cup soured kimchi (chopped)

1 egg
1 clove minced garlic

2-4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Safflower oil for cooking**

*I've never used fresh tuna before, but I'm sure it would make this recipe even better.  Definitely on my list of things to try and if you guys make this with fresh tuna, let me know how it turns out!  You could also use korean canned tuna, which is pre-marinated in gochujang, but I feel like that may make these cakes too salty and take away from the kimchi flavor.

**Safflower oil is a light oil that is great for pan frying foods.  It has a higher smoke point, so it reacts less quickly to oxygen and is more suitable for high temperature cooking.  If you don't have safflower oil, no need to worry, because any neutral, high smoke point oil will work.  Click the following link to read more about smoke point and oils.


DIRECTIONS:
1.) Place tuna, tofu, kimchi, and garlic in a large bowl and combine well.  Then add the egg and flour to help bind the patties together.

 2.) Heat up two tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Form thin patties, 3 inches in diameter, with your hands and place in them in the pan - about 2-3 minutes on each side.

3.) When patties are nicely browned and crisp, remove from the pan and let rest on a paper towel.  Heat more oil in the pan and add the next batch of patties to the pan.  Recipe makes about twelve tuna kimchi patties.  Best when served immediately.  Enjoy!

mànmàn chī,

........................................

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asparagus & mushroom risotto (+truffle oil)

I really enjoy rice dishes, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that asparagus and mushroom risotto is frequently prepared in my kitchen.  I am Asian after all.  Asians love rice.

This recipe is fairly simple and straightforward.  All it requires is a bit of prep work and some love.  

2 Tbsp oil (I use grapeseed oil)

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of asparagus

1 box of mushrooms (8oz - button, cremini, portobello...etc.)

Salt and pepper to taste

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2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp oil 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup arborio rice (yields ~3 cups cooked)

2 cans of 14oz chicken broth or vegetable broth

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Infused white truffle oil (Buying truffle oil: examine label and make sure it's white truffle EXTRACT.  White truffle essence or white truffle aroma is synthetic and not worth your money!)
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best)

1.) Blanch the asparagus spears for 1-4 minutes, depending on the girth of the spears.  This is to soften the texture of the vegetable before fully cooking it.  Click here for how to: blanch asparagus.  My asparagus stalks were really thin, so one minute was enough.

2.) Cut the spears into one inch, bite size pieces.

3.) In a large pan, sauté the oil, garlic, and mushroom for 5 minutes.  Add asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sauté for another 5 minutes and set aside.

4.) In a pot, saute onion in butter and oil for about 3 minutes.

5.) Add rice and stir for about 2 minutes.

6.) Add 1/2 can of broth and continue stirring until liquid is absorbed.  This is where the love comes in.  Be prepared to stir a lot!  It'll help the risotto develop a creamy consistency and keep it from burning.

7.) Gradually stir in 1/2 cans of broth until you have no more broth left or until the rice reaches your desired consistency.  Keep stirring!  At the end, the rice should be fully cooked through and look creamy in texture.

8.) Add rice to the asparagus and mushroom mixture.  Combine, taste, and serve.  Add additional salt and pepper here if need be.

9.) (Optional) Just to add a bit of richness and luxury, I drizzle my bowl of risotto with some white truffle infused oil.  Two words: NEXT LEVEL.  

10.) (Optional) You can also grate some parmesan cheese over it, but I think it's ohmylish enough without it.

mànmàn chī,

....................................

let's chat on twitter:

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