Stuffed with sweet cream cheese and dunked in a custardy butter sauce, Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread is more decadent than the original.

Leave it to the Korean street food scene to dream up this creation.  This bread is garlicky and buttery like you’d expect from a normal garlic bread.  But it’s also sweet and cheesy.  It’s crunchy on the outside and soft and custardy on the inside.  It’s basically a cross between traditional garlic bread and a sweet cheese danish. 

The sweet, buttery, garlicky flavors all work so well together, that it’s no wonder that this bread has taken the internet by storm. 

What is Korean cream cheese garlic bread?

Korean cream cheese garlic bread is a version of garlic bread that’s stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling, dunked in a custard of butter, half and half and garlic, and then baked. 

The bread has become a popular street food item in Korea, and has started to trend on the internet globally as well.

How is Korean cream cheese garlic bread different from regular garlic bread?

There are two main differences between the Korean version and the original. 

The first and most obvious difference is that the Korean version is filled with a sweet cream cheese. 

The second difference is in the type of butter used.  Regular garlic bread uses a mixture of butter, garlic, and some Italian spices like oregano or parsley. 

The Korean version uses a butter sauce that more closely resembles a custard.  This mixture contains butter and garlic in addition to eggs, half and half, and sugar.  The mixture is gently cooked over the stove to thicken it into a custard. 

Because of the cream cheese filling and the sweet custardy butter, the Korean version is richer and more decadent than regular garlic bread. 

Ingredients for Korean cream cheese garlic bread

Bread.  This recipe uses two premade, white bread rolls.  Each roll is about 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall.  Sure, you could bake your own bread.  But using premade rolls gets you to your garlicky, buttery, cheesy goal quicker.

Cream cheese filling

Cream cheese, sugar, half and half.  Whisk cream cheese with sugar and half and half to make a sweet filling for the bread.  This recipe uses three tablespoons of sugar to six ounces of cream cheese, resulting in a truly sweet filling.

Butter sauce

Butter.  A full stick of butter (½ cup) is melted down as the base of the sauce to dunk your bread in.  Healthy, this recipe is not.  But it sure tastes great.

Garlic.  Two full tablespoons of minced garlic goes into the butter sauce, making sure that this bread has a strong enough garlic flavor.

Half and half.  Dairy is mixed with the butter to create a velvety sauce.

Egg.  The egg is a key ingredient to this recipe because it gives the sauce its custardy texture.  By gently cooking the egg with the other ingredients, the sauce will thicken up and start to get the texture of a loose custard.

Parsley.  The parsley gives the bread a bit of subtle fresh flavor and some color.  Since it’s so subtle, feel free to skip it.

Sugar.  Sugar gives the sauce a sweetness which contrasts so well against the butter and garlic.

For topping

Parmesan cheese.  Shave an ounce of parmesan cheese on top of the bread before baking it to add some umami and to give it a nice crunch on top.

How to make Korean cream cheese garlic bread

To make this recipe, you’ll stuff the bread with a sweet cream cheese filling, dunk it in a butter sauce, and then bake it.

Make the cream cheese filling

Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature.  You can also microwave it for 10-20 seconds to speed up the process.  Once softened, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar and half and half until it’s smooth and no lumps remain.

Slice the bread

First you’ll slice the bread so that you can fill it with the cream cheese filling.  Make four slices about two-thirds of the way through the bread, resulting in eight pieces or sections.  The most important part of this step is to not cut all the way through the bread.  Just cut partly through it.

Stuff the bread

Now that you’ve sliced the bread, you’ll stuff it with the cream cheese filling.  First add the cream cheese to a pastry bag or to a ziploc bag.  If using a ziploc bag, cut off the corner of the bag.

Now pipe the cream cheese directly into each cut you made.  And then pipe more cheese directly into the center of the bread.

Make the butter sauce

You’ll be gently cooking the sauce in a bowl that’s sitting over a pot of boiling water, using a method that’s called a double boiler.  I know, I know.  It sounds challenging and unnecessary, but it’s actually really easy.  It’s also needed to get the butter sauce to the right consistency since it gently cooks the egg and fully incorporates it into the sauce without scrambling it.

To cook the sauce, put two to three inches of water in a large pot and bring it to a simmer on your stovetop.  

Now place a heatproof metal or glass bowl directly on top of the pot.  

While the water’s still simmering, add all of the sauce ingredients to the bowl.  Now cook them, stirring constantly, for about five minutes until all the butter is melted and the sauce thickens.  Remove the bowl from the stove.  

Dunk the bread and top with cheese

Now dunk the bread directly into the sauce.  Use a spoon to pour the sauce all over every surface of the bread.  Try to get the sauce inside all of the cuts you’ve made by repeatedly spooning butter on top of the bread.

Place the sauced bread on a parchment-lined sheet tray.  Shave an ounce of parmesan on top of the bread (half an ounce per loaf).

Bake

Now bake the bread at 400° for 15-18 minutes.  Rotate the tray halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

Tips for making Korean cream cheese garlic bread

Slicing the bread correctly and gently cooking the sauce are key.

1. Don’t cut all the way through the bread

When you make slices in the bread, make sure that you don’t cut all the way through.  Make four even slices in your bread that go two-thirds through the bread.

2. Don’t skip the double boil method for making the sauce 

Double boiling is a method of cooking that stresses heating the ingredients gently.  It’s used for sauces like hollandaise, for melting chocolate, and to create custard.    

To double boil something, bring water in a pot to a gentle simmer.  Then place a heatproof bowl on top of that pot, without touching the water.  Add the ingredients to the top bowl and stir.  

The steam from the simmering water will come into contact with the top bowl and gently cook your ingredients.  This guide gives more information on how easy it is to double boil.

Double boiling can seem intimidating or like it’s not worth the effort.  When I developed this recipe I considered cooking the sauce directly on the stovetop, or even microwaving it, to make the recipe easier and more accessible.

But in the end I chose the double boil method because I really wanted the sauce to achieve a true custardy texture.  

Double boiling is important for the custardy texture because you do not want to overheat the egg.  Cooking the egg too quickly could overheat the yolk and break the emulsion that needs to happen for this sauce.

Once you’ve tried double boiling, you’ll see that it’s actually super easy and also fun to do.  So I encourage you to give it a try to see for yourself how this method improves the texture of your sauce.

What to serve with Korean cream cheese garlic bread

Korean street food.  For a night of Korean street food, try this bread with rose tteokbokki, the Korean rice cakes cooked in a spicy, creamy gochujang sauce.

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Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread

Stuffed with sweet cream cheese and dunked in a custardy butter sauce, Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread is more decadent than the original.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Keyword Bread, Cream cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• Heatproof metal or glass bowl for double boiling

Ingredients

• 2 small round loaves white bread about 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall
• 1 oz parmesan cheese shaved

For the cream cheese filling

• 6 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ⅛ cup half and half

For the butter sauce

• ½ cup butter unsalted
• 2 tbsp garlic minced
• ¼ cup half and half
• 1 tbsp parsley minced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg

For garnish

• parsley minced, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400°.

Make the cream cheese filling

• Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature.  You can also microwave it for 10-20 seconds to speed up the process. 
• Once softened, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar and half and half until it’s smooth and no lumps remain.
  

Slice the bread

• Make four slices about two-thirds of the way through both loaves of bread, resulting in eight pieces or sections per loaf. 

  The most important part of this step is to not cut all the way through the bread.  Just cut partly through it.
  

Stuff the bread

• Add the cream cheese to a pastry bag or to a ziploc bag.  If using a ziploc bag, cut a small slit in the bottom corner of the bag.
  
• First pipe the cream cheese directly into each cut you made.  And then pipe more cheese directly into the center of the bread. Repeat for the second loaf.
  

Make the butter sauce

• Set up a double boiler. Put two to three inches of water in a large pot and bring it to a simmer on your stovetop over medium-low heat.
• Now place a heatproof metal or glass bowl directly on top of the pot of simmering water. This bowl should not directly touch the simmering water.
• While the water’s still simmering, add all of the sauce ingredients (butter, ¼ cup half and half, minced garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon sugar, and egg) to the bowl. 
  
• Cook the ingredients, stirring constantly, for about five minutes until all the butter is melted and the sauce thickens.  Remove the bowl from the stove.
  

Dunk the bread and top with cheese

• Dunk the bread directly into the bowl with the sauce. 

  Use a spoon to pour the sauce all over every surface of the bread.  Try to get the sauce inside all of the cuts you’ve made by repeatedly spooning butter on top of the bread.
  
• Place the sauced bread on a parchment-lined sheet tray.  Shave an ounce of parmesan on top of the bread (half an ounce per loaf).
  

Bake

• Bake the bread at 400° for 15-18 minutes until the bread is browned.  Rotate the tray halfway through baking to ensure even browning.
  
• Remove the bread from the sheet tray and place on a serving plate. Top with fresh parsley for garnish.

The post Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread appeared first on Eats All Day.

This super simple recipe takes just a few minutes to make.  You’ll just chop some ingredients, mix everything together, and you’re done.

Kamaboko dip is perfect for parties and potlucks.  If you want to mix it up for your next get-together and have something unique, try out this kamaboko dip. 

What is kamaboko dip?

Kamaboko dip is a Hawaiian appetizer of Japanese origin containing chopped kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, water chestnuts, scallions, and dashi powder.

Kamaboko dip is popular throughout Hawaii.  It often makes an appearance at parties or potlucks.  

Grocery stores such as Foodland and Costco also carry premade versions of the dip.

The flavor is fresh, creamy, and just slightly seafoody. There’s also a nice subtle crunch to the dip from the minced water chestnuts and sliced scallions. 

Ingredients in kamaboko dip

Kamaboko.  The Japanese steamed fish cake is the primary ingredient in this dip.  Its flavor is fresh tasting and just slightly seafoody. 

Cream cheese.  Cream cheese is essential to this recipe.  It gives the dip a rich flavor and helps to hold all the ingredients together.

Mayonnaise.  A good amount of mayonnaise adds some tang to the dip.  Use either the Best Foods or Hellman’s brand in this recipe, as they’re traditional in Hawaii.

Heavy cream.  Just a tablespoon of heavy cream helps to loosen the mayonnaise and cream cheese a bit, and makes it easier to stir all the ingredients together. 

Water chestnuts.  Water chestnuts have a very subtle taste and are more important for adding a crunch to the dip.

Scallion.  Sliced scallions give the dip an oniony bite and add some more crunchy texture.

Dahi powder.  Dashi powder adds a punch of umami and more depth to the dip.

How to make kamaboko dip

1. Soften and mix.  Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so that it softens and is easy to mix with the other ingredients.  Once softened, whisk the cream cheese with the mayonnaise and heavy cream until fully combined and smooth.
2. Chop.  Finely mince the kamaboko and water chestnuts.  You want to cut the kamaboko into really tiny pieces so that it mixes well with the other ingredients.  Slice the scallions into thin rings.
3. Mix.  Add all ingredients (minced kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, scallions, heavy cream, and dashi powder) to a large bowl and mix until combined.
4. Chill.  Place the dip in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
5. Serve.  Ritz crackers are the classic way to serve kamaboko dip.  

Substitutes for kamaboko

If you can’t find kamaboko, you can make this recipe with minced imitation crab instead.  It won’t be a kamaboko dip any longer, but the imitation crabmeat is a good approximation for kamaboko.

I’m not afraid to admit that I’m personally a huge fan of imitation crab meat.  I know, I know.  It’s not really crab.  But I love its fresh taste that’s just slightly seafoody.  And it goes so well with creamy ingredients like mayo and cream cheese.  If you also love imitation crab, you should try out this sushi bake.

How to serve kamaboko dip

It’s best to dip Ritz crackers into your kamaboko dip.  They’re the classic way that Hawaiians eat kamaboko dip.  The buttery flavor of the crackers fits really well with the creamy dip.

You can also serve the dip with other crackers, with chips, or with vegetable crudités such as celery, carrots and tomatoes. 

How long does kamaboko dip last?

Once prepared, kamaboko dip lasts three to four days in the fridge.  

By the second day, the dip will begin to dry out a bit and won’t have the same creaminess as it did on the first day.  But it’s still enjoyable and tastes great. 

What is kamaboko?

Kamaboko is a Japanese ingredient consisting of pureed whitefish that have been formed into a semi-cylindrical cake and then steamed until fully cooked.  

Kamaboko’s flavor is subtle.  It’s fresh tasting and only slightly “seafoody”.  The texture is firm, but slightly spongy.

The fish cakes are eaten chilled or hot and are added to various dishes like soups, rice, or noodles.  They can also be sliced and enjoyed plain with soy sauce and wasabi. 

Kamaboko is ubiquitous in Japan with many different uses. 

Outside of Japan, it’s widely available in Hawaii and used in dishes such as saimin, kamaboko puffs, and this kamaboko dip.  Even McDonald’s in Hawaii includes kamaboko on their menu as part of their saimin. 

What is kamaboko made of?

Kamaboko is made of various types of pureed whitefish and includes some additives for flavor and preservation.

The type of whitefish used varies, and can include chicken grunt, golden threadfin bream, lizardfish, Japanese gissu, shark, Alaskan pollock, and more.

What does kamaboko mean?

Kamaboko is a Japanese word, and there’s no direct translation to English.  It can be roughly translated to steamed fish paste or fish loaf.

Where can I buy kamaboko?

In Hawaii, kamaboko is available at almost any grocery store.  

Outside of Hawaii, many Asian grocery stores sell it.  Your best bet for finding Kamaboko would be in a Japanese or Korean grocery store.

How long does kamaboko last?

Once thawed and in the refrigerator, kamaboko lasts about 2-3 weeks if it’s vacuum-sealed and unopened.

Once the package is open, it’s best to consume the kamaboko in 2-3 days.

If the kamaboko smells sour or becomes sticky, you should throw it away.

How to thaw kamaboko

To thaw kamaboko, simply remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before you use it.  You can leave the package unopened while thawing.

If you are in a rush to thaw it, you can set it on the counter until thawed.

Can you refreeze kamaboko?

Once thawed, it’s best not to refreeze kamaboko as it would affect the texture.

Do I need to cook kamaboko?

Kamaboko is already fully cooked and can be consumed right out of the package.  A popular way of eating kamaboko is to simply slice it and serve with soy and wasabi.

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Simple Kamaboko Dip

Kamaboko dip is Hawaii’s classic potluck dish that combines Japanese fish cake with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and water chestnuts.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Cream cheese, Kamaboko

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Rest in fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz kamaboko
• ⅓ cup cream cheese softened to room temperature
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise preferably Best Food or Hellman's brand
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• ⅓ cup water chestnuts roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup scallion sliced into thin rounds
• ¼ tsp dashi powder

Instructions

• Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. To speed up the process, microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
• Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and heavy cream to a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.
  
• Finely mince the kamaboko, roughly chop the water chestnuts, and slice the scallions into thin rounds
• Add all ingredients (kamaboko, cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, water chestnuts, scallions, and dashi powder) to a medium bowl.
  
• Mix until combined.
  
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Once chilled, enjoy with Ritz crackers. You can also serve the dip with other crackers, with chips, or with vegetable crudités such as celery, carrots and tomatoes.

The post Simple Kamaboko Dip appeared first on Eats All Day.

Shio kombu is a secret weapon in the Japanese pantry.  Not only does it taste great, but it can also be used as the ONLY picking agent necessary to pickle vegetables. 

Yes, you heard that right.  To make this pickle, you’ll just combine cabbage and shio kombu in a bag, massage, and let it rest for 25 minutes.  No other ingredients are needed as pickling agents.  No vinegar, no sugar, no salt. Just shio kombu. 

This recipe is optionally topped with crushed nori seaweed snacks to add some more texture and flavor, but feel free to skip the nori if you want to make this recipe even easier than it already is. 

What is Japanese pickled cabbage with shio kombu?

Japanese pickled cabbage with shio kombu is a simple quick pickle consisting of chopped green cabbage and shio kombu.  Shio kombu is mixed with the cabbage and the saltiness of the shio kombu pickles the cabbage.

Optionally, the pickles can be topped with crushed nori or other toppings, such as shiso, yuzu peel, or bonito flakes.

These pickles are a type of asazuke, which is a Japanese method for pickling vegetables that’s characterized by a quick and short pickling time.  Since the vegetables aren’t pickled for too long, they maintain a fresh flavor and crunchy texture. Besides cabbage, other vegetables such as cucumbers, daikon, or celery are often prepared using the asazuke method.

Ingredients

Cabbage.  Run-of-the-mill green cabbage takes on the umami flavors of shio kombu and remains crisp through the pickling process.

Shio kombu.  This Japanese super ingredient is all you need to make pickles.  As you massage the shio kombu into the cabbage, it begins to pickle the cabbage and release moisture.

Nori seaweed snacks.  The cabbage pickles are topped with crushed nori seaweed snacks to add even more umami and a different texture.  This is an optional ingredient, but really adds to the final pickle and makes them feel special.

What is shio kombu?

Shio kombu is a Japanese ingredient that consists of kelp cooked in soy sauce and other ingredients, and then dried to concentrate its flavor.  After the drying process, shio kombu is usually cut into thin strips.  In Japanese, shio means salted and kombu means kelp.

Its flavor is intense.  It’s salty, sweet, and has a deep quality of umami that you get from the dried and concentrated seaweed.  Shio kombu has a bit of an ocean taste to it, but isn’t quite as briny as normal kombu.  A lot of the briny taste is lost during the drying process and replaced with a deeper, more umami flavor.

What else can I use shio kombu for?

Since shio kombu has such an intense flavor, it’s often used as an ingredient in plain dishes to add a pop of flavor.  

For example, onigiri are often rolled in shio kombu to add more flavor.  Ochazuke (white rice soaked in tea) is also often topped with shio kombu.  Or shio kombu is simply sprinkled over plain white rice.  

Another use for shio kombu is to make quick pickles, or asazuke.  When using shio kombu to make pickles, you don’t need any other pickling agents.  There’s no vinegar, no salt, and no sugar necessary.  The saltiness of the shio kombu is all that’s needed to pickle the vegetable.

Where can I buy shio kombu?

Shio kombu is starting to become a bit more popular in the US, but it still might be difficult to find.  Japanese grocery stores will definitely carry it, and some generally Asian grocery stores may also have it.  

For the most convenience, you can find shio kombu on Amazon.

How to make quick pickled cabbage with shio kombu

Using shio kombu to make quick pickled cabbage couldn’t be easier.

First cut 100 grams of cabbage into irregular 1-inch pieces.  This should yield about 1½ to 2 cups of cabbage.

Next add the cabbage to a ziploc bag, along with 1 heaping tablespoon of shio kombu.  Zip the bag closed, but leave a good amount of air in the bag.  

Shake the bag to distribute the shio kombu across all of the cabbage and start to massage the shio kombu into the cabbage.  Continue shaking and massaging for three to five minutes.  As you massage the cabbage, the shio kombu will start to become moist and some liquid will begin to release from the cabbage.  The cabbage will also begin to darken a bit and take on some brown color.  Once you see moisture and the cabbage starts to darken, you’re finished with this step.

Now remove the air from the ziploc bag and reseal the bag with the cabbage still inside.  Put the cabbage in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes to finish the pickling process.  After this time, the pickles are finished and you’re ready to enjoy them.

How does the shio kombu pickle the cabbage?

Vegetables are often pickled in some combination of salt, vinegar or sugar. This recipe instead uses just shio kombu. 

Shio kombu works to pickle the cabbage because the kombu contains a high amount of salt. As you rub the shio kombu into the cabbage, the salt mixes against the cabbage and begins the pickling process.

Pickled cabbage variations

Japanese quick pickles are super casual and flexible, so feel free to experiment with ingredients and try different flavors.  Here are some ideas to add to your pickles.

Herbs.  Add thinly sliced shiso, parsley or basil after the pickling process as a garnish.

Citrus.  Top the pickles with thinly sliced yuzu peel, finely chopped orange segments, or a spritz of fresh grapefruit juice.

Bonito flakes.  Add the smoked and fermented fish flakes on top of the pickles for a pop of even more umami.

Aromatics.  Top the pickles with julienned, matchstick size ginger.  Or top with scallions sliced into rings.

Spicy.  Add yuzu kosho into the ziploc bag at the same time as the shio kombu, and let the spicy citrus flavors marinate into the cabbage.  Or top the finished pickles with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi.

What to serve with Japanese pickled cabbage with shio kombu

A side of pickles is such an easy way to make any meal feel special.  These pickles are really versatile and can be eaten with just about anything.  But they go especially well with other Japanese dishes.  

Try them with something spicy, like this ebi chili (shrimp in a spicy sauce), or with a spaghetti, like this mentaiko pasta with salty cod roe.

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Japanese Pickled Cabbage with Shio Kombu

Ready in just thirty minutes, this pickle combines cabbage with shio kombu, the salted and dried Japanese kelp.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Cabbage, Pickle

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Rest in fridge time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 100 g green cabbage or about 1½-2 cups chopped
• 1 heaping tbsp shio kombu
• 2 small nori seaweed snacks crumbled

Instructions

• Chop the cabbage into irregular 1-inch pieces.
  
• Add the cabbage and the shio kombu to a ziploc bag. Zip the bag closed, but leave a good amount of air in the bag. 
  
• Shake the bag to distribute the shio kombu across all of the cabbage and massage the cabbage.  Continue shaking and massaging for three to five minutes. 

  Once the cabbage begins to release some moisture and starts to darken in color, you're finished with this step.
  
• Remove excess air from the ziploc bag, but keep the cabbage in the bag. Store the cabbage in the fridge for 25 minutes.
• To serve, place the cabbage on a serving plate and top with crumbled nori.

The post Japanese Pickled Cabbage with Shio Kombu appeared first on Eats All Day.

The sweet sauce is brushed on top of roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and then broiled in the oven, resulting in a caramelized crust on top of the fluffy, fork tender sweet potatoes. It’s a really nice combination of textures. 

And even though these potatoes are a side dish, they’re so packed with flavor that they can easily be eaten with some rice as a main course. 

What are Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes?

Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes are a side dish of Japanese sweet potatoes topped with a sweet miso butter glaze.

This recipe uses Japanese sweet potatoes, the sweeter, fluffier alternative to the regular orange variety.  Although you could easily substitute orange sweet potatoes in this recipe if that’s all you can find.

The potatoes are first roasted in the oven without the sauce.  After they’re done roasting, the potatoes are topped with the miso butter sauce and then broiled to caramelize the sauce.

Although this dish is simple to make, it packs a ton of flavor.

How are Japanese sweet potatoes different?

Japanese sweet potatoes have purple skin and an off-white flesh that turns a darker shade of yellow once cooked.

The Japanese variety of sweet potato is much sweeter than other orange flesh sweet potatoes or yams typically found in the US.  The flavor has a nutty quality that’s reminiscent of chestnuts. Since it’s so sweet, it’s used often to make desserts like this traditional sweet potato dessert.  

Their texture is a bit more dry and starchier than orange sweet potatoes.  The consistency is actually more similar to white Russet baking potatoes than orange sweet potatoes.  This means that your Japanese sweet potatoes will be a bit fluffier and lighter-feeling than the orange ones.

Japanese sweet potatoes are becoming more and more available in the US.  Whole Foods carries them and so does Trader Joe’s (under the name “Murasaki sweet potato”).  

If you can’t find the Japanese variety, the orange sweet potatoes can be used for a substitute in certain cases, such as in this recipe. 

Ingredients

Japanese sweet potatoes.  These uber sweet, fluffy potatoes pair perfectly with the sweet and salty miso glaze.

Miso.  Miso is the base for the sauce, providing complex flavors of umami, saltiness, funkiness and some sweetness. I prefer red miso in this recipe because it has a deep, strong flavor that stands up to the sweetness. Though any other kind of miso, such as a milder white, would work fine.

Sake.  Sake is the secret ingredient to so many Japanese recipes, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish and adding some umami and sweetness.  

Mirin.  Mirin is often used with sake in Japanese sauces, and we’ll use it here.  It adds more subtle sweetness to the sauce and compliments the sake.

Sugar.  A bit of sugar provides even more sweetness.

Butter.  Butter rounds out the sauce, providing richness and creaminess.

Scallions.  A pop of scallions garnish the dish, giving it some oniony bite.

Sesame seeds.  Sesame seeds also garnish the dish, providing just a bit of nuttiness that compliments the sweet potatoes.

Can I substitute orange sweet potatoes for the Japanese ones?

The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or yams that are more accessible in the US can easily be used as a substitute in this recipe. 

The potatoes won’t be as sweet and their texture won’t be as fluffy, but they’ll still taste great. 

What kind of miso should I use?

Red miso is preferable for this recipe, since it has a deep, rich flavor that stands up to the sweetness of the sauce and the potatoes.

Though you can use any kind of miso paste, such as the milder white miso, and the potatoes will still taste great. They’ll just have a less strong miso flavor.

How to make Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes

1. Bake the potatoes.  Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and rub two tablespoons of a neutral oil on both sides of the potatoes.  Place the potatoes on a foil-lined sheet tray, cut side down, and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.
2. Make the sauce.  While the potatoes are roasting, mix the miso paste, sake, mirin and sugar in a small bowl until combined.  Cook the sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring very frequently to prevent scorching.  Next add the butter, and continue cooking for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Glaze and broil the potatoes.  Once the potatoes are finished baking, remove them from the oven and turn your oven’s broiler to high heat.  Flip the potatoes over on the sheet pan so that they’re cut side up.  Use a pastry brush to apply the sauce on top of the potato flesh.  Now broil them in the oven for 1-3 minutes until the glaze is beginning to caramelize.  Check the potatoes frequently to avoid burning them.

Tips for making Kyoto style sweet potatoes

1. Cut the potatoes in even halves.  When you slice the potatoes lengthwise, make sure that they’re cut right down the middle into two equal portions.  This ensures that both sides of the potato require the same amount of time for roasting and they’ll all be finished at the same time.
2. Stir the sauce very often while cooking.  Since this sauce has a high sugar content, it can burn very quickly.  So while you’re cooking it on the stove top, make sure to stir it very frequently.  And while you’re stirring it, ensure that you scrape the sauce from the bottom of the pan so that it doesn’t burn. 
3. Keep a close eye while broiling.  The broiling process caramelizes the sauce on top of the potatoes, bringing out the sweetness and giving the potatoes a nice, lightly crispy crust.  But since the sauce has such a high sugar content, it can burn very quickly.  So keep a very close eye on your potatoes when you do the broiling.  Depending on the strength of your oven’s broiler, it could take only one minute to caramelize and could begin burning right after that.

What to serve Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are a pretty versatile side dish that can be served with many different types of main courses.

They would obviously go great with other Japanese-inspired dishes (like this sushi bake), but are flexible enough to be served with other types of foods like Korean or even American food.

Since the potatoes are so sweet, they would go extremely well with something spicy and acidic, like these loaded kimchi fries topped with spicy mayo, jalapenos, and fresh lime.

And since these potatoes are so good, I’ve eaten them as a main course with rice on the side.

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Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes

If sweet and salty is your thing, then these Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes glazed in a sweet miso butter sauce are sure to hit the spot. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Miso, Sweet Potato

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 Japanese sweet potatoes or substitute regular orange sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola
• 3 tbsp miso preferably red miso, but any miso will do
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp butter unsalted
• 2-3 scallions sliced into rings, for garnish
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the sweet potatoes

• Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Rub all sides of the sweet potatoes (flesh and skin) with 2 tbsp of the neutral oil.
  
• Place the potatoes flesh side down on an aluminum-lined sheet tray and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the flesh is fully cooked and is easily pierced with a fork.

Make the miso butter sauce

• While the potatoes are roasting, mix the miso, sake, mirin, and granulated sugar in a small bowl until combined.
• Add the sauce to a small saucepan and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for five minutes, stirring very frequently. Make sure that you scrape the bottom of the pan often to move the sauce around and prevent scorching.
• Add the butter to the sauce and cook for an additional three minutes, stirring very frequently.

Broil the potatoes and serve

• Once the potatoes are finished baking, remove them from the oven and turn your oven’s broiler to high heat.
• Flip the potatoes over on the sheet pan so that they’re cut side up and use a pastry brush to apply the sauce on top of the potato flesh. 
  
• Broil the potatoes in the oven for 1-3 minutes until the glaze is beginning to caramelize.  Check the potatoes frequently to avoid burning them.
• Once the potatoes are done broiling, place them on a serving plate and garnish them with the sliced scallions and sesame seeds, and serve.

The post Kyoto Style Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Eats All Day.

This is the most popular yōshoku (Western-inspired Japanese food) soup in Japan.  It’s based on a French soup and has a super smooth, silky consistency and quite a sweet taste from the fresh corn.  

I love this recipe because it’s so simple and just uses a few ingredients, which really lets the corn take center stage.  Corn is so important to this recipe that it’s used in two ways.  First we’ll use the corn cobs to make a corn stock.  Second, we’ll blend that stock up with freshly sauteed corn kernels (and other tasty things like onions, heavy cream and milk).

What is corn potage?

Corn potage is a corn and cream based soup that’s part of Japan’s yōshoku style food tradition.  

Corn was first introduced to Japan in the 1500s from the Portuguese.  But this wasn’t the typical sweet corn that’s eaten today.  Instead it was a type of flint corn, which have hard, large kernels and are usually ground into a meal or used for feeding animals.  

It wasn’t until hundreds of years later, in the early 1900s, that sweet corn was first grown in Japan on the northern island of Hokkaido.  By the 1950s and 60s, corn started to gain steam and was being added to the popular diet. 

Hokkaido is still the chief producer of corn in Japan and corn is heavily associated with the island.  Tourists visiting Hokkaido will find all kinds of corn-based snacks in the city, like Hokkaido-Style Corn on the Cob or even corn chocolate.

Today, corn has become pretty popular across all of Japan and is used in many recipes throughout the cuisine, such as tempuras, stir frys, and in ramens.

But corn potage happens to be the most popular recipe that uses corn in Japan.  

Since this soup has a subtly sweet flavor, kids absolutely love it and drink it often.  And because of that, it’s developed a nostalgic feel to it that reminds many Japanese of their childhoods. 

It’s also served out of vending machines, which is an indication of just how popular it is.

Corn Potage vs. Corn Soup

The terms “Corn potage” and “corn soup” are used in Japan to describe two different ways of preparing Western-style corn soups.  

“Potage” has a consistency that’s completely silky and smooth, without any chunks of corn.  “Corn soup” has a chunkier texture with pieces of corn left in the soup.

The word “potage” has medieval roots and comes from the French language, describing any kind of thick soup, and especially those with cream.  This term has fallen out of favor in English and we don’t really use it anymore.  

But potage is alive and well in Japan, with this corn potage being the most popular Western-style soup in Japan.

How to make creamy corn potage

1. Sauté the vegetables.  First sauté onions with olive oil and butter on medium heat until translucent.  Then add the corn kernels and cook for five minutes until the corn starts to smell toasty and just as it’s starting to slightly brown.  Now add the paprika, stir, and cook for a quick 30 seconds.  Don’t cook it too long, or you’ll scorch the paprika and give it a bitter taste.
2. Add the liquids and cobs.  Add 1 cup of water, along with the cream, milk, the bare corn cobs and a half teaspoon of kosher salt.
3. Cook the potage.  Turn the heat to high and bring the potage to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Blend.  Once finished cooking, discard the corn cobs and add the potage to a blender.  Blend on high speed until thoroughly blended and smooth.
5. Strain.  Put a fine meshed strainer over a large bowl and pour the liquid over the strainer into the bowl.  Use a rubber spatula to push against the mixture to release all of the liquid.  Once finished, discard the solids.  The potage is finished and ready to serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Three tips for creating deep corn flavor

There are three key steps to imparting a deep corn flavor into your potage. 

1. Sauté the corn first. Sautéing the corn in olive oil and butter, before adding any liquid, begins to roast the corn and brings out a sweet aroma.  We’ll sauté it just a bit, very slightly browning the kernels. 
2. Use plain old water instead of any flavored broth.  Vegetable and chicken stocks don’t taste like corn, so we’ll skip them.  Simple water is best for absorbing the flavors of the corn. 
3. Boil the cobs directly in the soup.  We’ll use the bare corn cobs to flavor the soup. Just add the cobs directly into the liquids and boil everything together. Corn cobs are great for making stock and give the potage an amazingly deep corn flavor. 

Ingredients

Corn on the cob.  Use sweet, fresh corn over frozen or canned.  And don’t throw away the cobs!  We’ll use them to create a deeply corn flavored broth. 

Heavy cream.  This recipe is probably so popular in Japan because cream and corn is such a perfect combination. The rich, fatty dairy plays right off of the sweet, light corn to create a soup that has heft but keeps it bright from the corn. 

Milk.  To keep the soup from getting too heavy, we’ll add milk alongside the cream. You can also use half-and-half instead of the milk and cream.  Just omit those two and use two cups of half-and-half instead. 

Onions.  Aromatics provide the base of almost any good Western-style soup and give the soup depth and backbone.

Butter and olive oil.  Use a combination of butter and olive oil to sauté and brown the onions and corn. 

Paprika. A bit of paprika for a slight hint of the spice.

Fresh parsley.  For a bit of garnish.  Totally optional.

What to serve with corn potage?

Since corn potage is a yōshoku-style dish, it’s best served alongside other Western foods.  

Spaghetti.  Serving corn potage with Spaghetti Napolitan, the Japanese ketchup-based pasta, is an absolute classic.  You can also try it with other Italian-inspired pastas like mentaiko pasta.

Green salad.  Try a green salad of lettuce with a simple wafu salad dressing.  This recipe from Iamafoodblog.com uses soy sauce, rice vinegar and a few other pantry ingredients.

Bread and butter.  Add some crusty French bread to dunk into the corn potage.

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Corn Potage (Creamy Japanese Corn Soup)

Corn potage, the creamy corn soup so popular in Japan that you can find it in vending machines, is easy to make in your own kitchen. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Corn, Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Equipment

• Fine meshed strainer
• Blender

Ingredients

• 4 ears corn
• ½ onion diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1¼ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk
• parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the corn

• Slice the kernels from the corn cobs. Save the corn cobs as you'll use them in a later step.
  

Cook the soup

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onions and sauté for three minutes until the onions become translucent.
• Add the corn kernels and sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently, until the corn develops a toasty aroma and is just starting to brown.
• Add the paprika, stir, and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the heavy cream, milk, 1 cup water, bare corn cobs, and a half teaspoon of salt.
• Turn the heat to high and bring the potage to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Blend, strain and serve

• Once finished cooking, discard the corn cobs and add the potage to a blender.  Blend on high speed until thoroughly blended and smooth.
• Put a fine meshed strainer over a large bowl and pour the liquid over the strainer into the bowl.  Use a rubber spatula to push against the mixture to release all of the liquid. Once finished, discard the solids left in the strainer. 
  
• The potage is now finished and ready to serve garnished with fresh parsley.
  

The post Corn Potage (Creamy Japanese Corn Soup) appeared first on Eats All Day.

This recipe is completely vegetarian.  There’s no meat involved.  And I think that’s a good thing.  

Leaving the meat out lets all that pungent kimchi take center stage, with loads of cheese, spicy mayo, and fresh herbs rounding out the dish. 

What are kimchi fries?

Some might call kimchi fries an abomination. I call them delicious. 

Kimchi fries are typically some version of French fries topped with kimchi and other ingredients like cheese, spicy mayo, meat, herbs and so on. 

The fries were first created in 2010 by Tex Mex-Korean BBQ restaurant Chi’Lantro in Austin, Texas. 

The original recipe from Chi’Lantro has become a bit of a sensation, and nowadays you’ll find many recipes for kimchi fries around the internet. 

This recipe is an alteration to Chi’Lantro’s original. The main difference is that the original uses meat, while this recipe is vegetarian.

But even without the meat, the kimchi, spicy mayo, cheddar cheese, cilantro and lime in this recipe all work together to pack a ton of flavor.  

If you’re looking for a recipe with meat, check out this version from Woks of Life that uses bacon.

How to make crispy French fries

Making super crispy fries at home isn’t as hard as it seems. Follow these steps and you’ll have crunchy fries in no time. 

Use Russet potatoes

Russet potatoes are ideal for fries. They have less moisture than other types of potatoes, letting them get super crispy on the outside while maintaining a fluffy center. 

Cut the potatoes

Peel the potatoes and then slice them lengthwise to ¼” slices. Now slice those into ¼” fries.

Soak the potatoes

Soak the potatoes in cool water for at least one hour and preferably more. You can soak them for up to 24 hours. 

The soaking process removes excess starch from the outside of the potatoes, which helps to achieve the perfect crispness. 

Dry the fries after soaking

Place the fries on a paper towel-lined tray to start drying them. Take more paper towels and blot the French fries dry.  Let the fries sit out for about 30 more minutes to let them fully dry.

The drying process is important because excess water can lead to limp fries. 

Fry the potatoes twice

The double frying method is the real key.  The first frying session fully cooks the potatoes and brings their moisture out. The second frying session, at higher heat, quickly crisps the outside of the fries and leaves their centers fluffy. 

Fry the potatoes in 350° oil for around five minutes until starting to turn a golden color. Remove them from the oil and set them on a paper towel-lined tray. 

Turn the heat up to get to 400° oil.  Now add the fries back into the oil and fry for an additional 30-60 seconds, until the fries achieve a golden brown color. 

Remove the fries to a paper towel-lined tray. Salt them immediately, while still hot. 

Ingredients

Russet Potatoes.  Russet potatoes are the best to use for fries.  Their low starch content yields fries that are super crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Oil for frying.  I personally love to use peanut oil for making fries.  It has a high smoke point and imparts a subtle nutty flavor on the fries.  If you don’t have peanut oil, a neutral oil with a high smoke point like canola works perfectly.

Cheddar cheese.  You’ll grate a sharp cheddar cheese and top your fries with it.  Put it in the oven’s broiler for 2-3 minutes to get it all melty.  

Kimchi.  After broiling the cheese, you’ll top the fries with pungent, spicy kimchi. 

Spicy mayo (Kewpie mayo + sriracha + gochujang + lime juice).  After the cheese and kimchi, you’ll add a quick homemade version of spicy mayo with sriracha, gochujang, and fresh lime juice.  

Kewpie mayo from Japan is preferred for this recipe, but any North American mayo will work great too.

Cilantro.  Blanket the fries with some fresh cilantro to provide some freshness.

Scallions.  Sliced scallions provide some more freshness and a nice oniony bite to the finished dish.

Jalapenos.  Add on some freshly sliced jalapenos for even more spice and a nice crunch.

Lime wedges.  And finally, serve the kimchi fries with fresh lime wedges on the side to give some more acidity to the dish.

What else can I add to kimchi fries?

I think this recipe is perfect as is.  It’s loaded with flavor and hits all the right notes of crunchiness, pungentness, spiciness, cheesiness, freshness, and acidity.

But if you want to add even more to kimchi fries, here are some ideas.

More spicy Korean vegetables.  For even more freshness and spiciness, make a moochae (the fresh radish salad known as a “cheat kimchi” since it’s so quick to make at home). Chop it into bite-sized pieces and add that to the fries along with the kimchi.

Bacon.  Crisp some bacon, crumble it, and add it with the kimchi on top of the cheese.

Bulgogi.  If you want to go all out, make some Korean bulgogi and add it to the fries.

Bean sprouts.  Bean sprouts have a mild flavor and a nice crunchy texture that would work really well on top of kimchi fries.

How to serve loaded kimchi fries

Kimchi fries should be served immediately, while still hot, to make sure your fries are crispy and your cheese is melty.

You can reserve some of the toppings (sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and scallions) and spicy mayo on the side to add to the fries as you’re eating them.

What to serve with kimchi fries

These kimchi fries are loaded with so much flavor that they’re a meal unto themselves and can be served as a main course.  

They can also be served as a side to a bigger meal or during a party.

For a completely over the top meal, serve the kimchi fries along with these crispy Asian brussel sprouts (which also happen to be loaded with a ton of flavor) and a creamy sushi bake.

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Loaded Kimchi Fries (Vegetarian)

Crispy fries loaded with kimchi, cheese, spicy mayo and a smattering of fresh herbs and lime might just be the ultimate party food.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Keyword French Fries, Kewpie Mayo, Kimchi

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Soaking potatoes and then drying them 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Russet potatoes
• ¾ cup kimchi roughly chopped
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
• ½ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• ½ lime cut into wedges, for serving
• oil for frying such as peanut or canola

For the spicy mayo

• ½ cup Kewpie mayo or other mayo as substitute
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp gochujang
• ½ lime juiced

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes

• Peel the potatoes and then slice them lengthwise to ¼” slices.
• Slice the potatoes again lengthwise into ¼” fries.
  
• Soak the potatoes in cool water for at least one hour and preferably more. You can soak them for up to 24 hours. If soaking the potatoes for more than an hour, keep them in the fridge.

Make the spicy mayo

• Mix the Kewpie mayo, sriracha, gochujang, juice from ½ lime, and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl until combined.

Make the French fries

• Once the potatoes are done soaking, place them on a paper towel-lined tray to start drying them. Take more paper towels and blot the French fries dry.  Let the fries sit for about 30 more minutes to let them fully dry.
• Heat the oil on the stove in a heavy pan to 350°.
• Add the potatoes to the oil and fry them for around five minutes until starting to turn a golden color. Remove them from the oil and set them on a paper towel-lined tray.
• Turn the heat up to get the oil to 400°.
• Add the fries back into the oil and fry for 30-60 seconds, until the fries are a golden brown color.
• Remove the fries to a paper towel-lined tray. Salt them immediately, while still hot.
  

Assemble the kimchi fries

• Preheat your oven's broiler on high heat.
• Place the fries on an oven-safe serving dish and add the shredded cheddar on top.
• Broil the fries and cheese in the oven for two to three minutes, and remove once the cheese is melted.

  Check the oven often to prevent burning.
• Add the chopped kimchi directly on top of the fries and cheese.
• Add the spicy mayo on top of the kimchi.
• Add the chopped cilantro, scallions, and jalapeno directly on top.
• Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges and more cilantro, scallions, jalapeno, and spicy mayo on the side.

The post Loaded Kimchi Fries (Vegetarian) appeared first on Eats All Day.

Spam musubi is the ubiquitous local snack sold all over Hawaii. From corner shops and 7-11s to grocery stores and high-end restaurants, you’ll find the spam and rice sandwiches everywhere.  It’s an absolute classic.  

This recipe makes one, ever-so-subtle change to the classic recipe by adding a thin layer of scrambled egg.  The egg doesn’t steal the show.  Instead, it works in the background to provide a mild, almost buttery taste that helps balance the sweet, salty spam.  

And it turns out that this combination of spam and egg is a winning one.  You’ll still be eating a spam musubi, and it’ll still taste almost the same.  But the egg adds just one more small dimension to the dish that’s worth a try if you haven’t had it yet.

What is spam musubi

Spam musubi was first made in Hawaii and is a play on the Japanese onigiri.

It starts with a piece of fried spam glazed in a sweet teriyaki sauce.  The spam is then laid on a bed of rice and sandwiched together with a piece of nori.  

It’s a super simple, casual snack eaten all over Hawaii.  And because it’s often enjoyed with friends and family at parties and picnics, spam musubi has a nostalgic, happy feeling for many islanders.  

Origin of spam musubi

Spam was introduced to Hawaii during World War II by the American military while it was stationed in Pearl Harbor.  The military used the canned meat as a ration, and surplus spam made its way to local residents who incorporated it into their cooking.

The origin of spam musubi is heavily disputed.  But its earliest form is traced back to Japanese residents of Hawaii, who began adding the canned meat to rice.

Years later, by the 1980s, local restaurants started to sell spam musubi. Two people are cited as potential creators. The first was Mitsuko Kaneshiro, who was selling the musubis from City Pharmacy in Honolulu.  The other was Barbara Funamura who made the snacks in the Joni-Hana restaurant in Kuai.

Over the next 15 years, the spam musubi became popular across all of the Hawaiian islands.  And by 1999 the Hawaiian BBQ chain restaurant L&L added spam musubi to its menu and introduced the snack to its restaurants on the mainland United States.

Since then, spam musubi has become a globally-recognized icon of Hawaii.

Hawaiians today eat more spam per person than any other state in the US.  But spam is also popular in other places across the Asia Pacific region, such as Korea (like in this Korean Army Stew), the Philippines, and Guam.

Ingredients in spam musubi with egg

Sushi rice.  Similar to the Japanese onigiri, spam musubi uses a bed of gently pressed rice as the base.

Rice vinegar and sugar.  Just like sushi, you’ll add a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar to the rice to provide a subtle acidic sweetness.

Spam.  Salty, fatty spam with a sweet teriyaki glaze is the defining ingredient.

Egg.  Make a thin omelet with scrambled and gently cooked eggs.  The mild, bouncy eggs give the final dish a more balanced flavor and an additional texture.   

Nori.  Use umami-packed nori to wrap the musubi, creating a portable dish worthy of any party or trip to the beach.

Teriyaki glaze (soy sauce, brown sugar, and sake).  A simple glaze of soy, brown sugar, and sake provides sweetness to cut through the salt and fat of the spam.  

Why add egg?

Lightly scrambled eggs provide a subtle earthy and buttery flavor to spam musubi.  The eggs work in the background and don’t overpower the spam.  Instead, they provide just a bit of balance to the final dish, perfectly complimenting the sweet, salty spam.

And it’s no surprise that this combination works so well.  Hawaiians serve spam and eggs for breakfast all over the islands. Even McDonald’s serves it.  This recipe just takes that combination and puts it into a musubi.

How to make spam musubi with egg

1. Make the rice.  Prepare sushi rice according to the rice’s instructions. Add a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar on top of the cooked rice. 
2. Make the teriyaki glaze.  Add soy sauce, sake, and sugar to a small bowl. Mix until the sugar fully dissolves.
3. Cook the egg.  You’ll cook the eggs in two batches.  Add half of the scrambled eggs to a lightly oiled nonstick pan on low heat.  Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just done.  Remove the first omelet and then repeat the process to make the second omelet.  Slice the omelets into eight long strips.
4. Fry the spam.  In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of neutral oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the sliced spam and fry for two minutes.  Flip the spam and fry for an additional two minutes.  Next add the teriyaki glaze directly to the pan and fry the spam in the glaze for 2-3 minutes more, flipping the spam once.
5. Assemble the rice for the musubi.  Place down a sheet of plastic wrap.  Place the musubi mold (or spam can) on top of the plastic wrap.  Add a small handful of rice to the musubi mold and use the press (or your fingers) to gently but firmly pack the rice.  
6. Assemble the egg and spam for the musubi.  Next remove the mold from the rice and lay the egg on top, folding it over once.  And lay the spam on top of the egg.
7. Wrap the musubi.  Place the musubi on top of nori, and wrap the nori around the sandwich with the seam side on the bottom.  Use a bit of water on the nori to close the seal.

Do I need to rinse the rice before cooking it?

Yes!

Rinsing your rice before cooking it is such an easy step that you can take to up your rice game and start producing restaurant-quality rice.  

The rinsing process removes excess starch from the rice granules, resulting in fluffier rice without any gumminess.  Without all that excess starch, your rice will be just a bit more toothsome and the individual grains will maintain their consistency.

To rinse your rice, add it to a bowl with cool water and use your hand to mix it around.  Drain the water.  And repeat this process a few times, until the water runs clear.

Special equipment: spam musubi press

You can use a special spam musubi press to help pack the ingredients and achieve the musubi’s signature rectangular shape.

These presses are available on Amazon for a few dollars.

What if I don’t have a spam musubi press?

I’ll admit that spam musubi presses are pretty niche, and you likely won’t have one.

The good news is that you can easily use the can from the spam to make a beautifully rectangular musubi.

Just use a can opener to remove both ends of the spam can and pack your rice, spam, and egg into the can.

Is spam musubi served hot or cold?

Spam musubi is super casual. You can eat them any way you want: warm, at room temperature, or even cold!

I personally love to eat musubis when the spam is still warm and the teriyaki glaze is dripping from the meat.

But it’s also sold out of the refrigerated section of grocery shops and corner stores, and enjoyed cold directly from the refrigerator.

How to serve spam musubi

Serve spam musubi alone as a snack or eat it with other Hawaiian foods like this meat jun (marinated and fried thinly sliced beef) or this creamy sushi bake.

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Spam Musubi with Egg

Hawaii’s iconic spam musubi gets the breakfast treatment with the addition of gently cooked scrambled egg in this recipe.

Course Snack

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Spam

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 musubis

Ingredients

For the rice

• 2 cup sushi rice
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated sugar

For the teriyaki glaze

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sake
• ¼ cup water

For the musubis

• 1 can spam sliced into eight even pieces
• 4 eggs
• 2½ tbsp neutral oil such as canola
• 2 sheets nori sliced lengthwise into 8 strips, 2" wide

Instructions

Make the rice

• Cook the rice according to the rice's instructions or your favorite cooking method.
• While the rice is cooking, mix the rice vinegar and granulated sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. You can microwave the mixture for 20-30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
• Once the rice is finished, and while still warm, add the vinegar mixture to the rice. Gently stir the rice to distribute the vinegar mixture. Use a rice paddle if you have one.

Make the teriyaki sauce

• Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sake, and water in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Make the omelets

• Add the eggs to a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and scramble them until little to no white remains.
• Add ¼ tbsp of the oil to a nonstick pan over low heat. Once heated, add half of the scrambled eggs to the pan. Tilt the pan around to evenly distribute the eggs into one thin layer. Cover the pan and cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes until just done and very slightly browned. Once done, remove the omlet from the pan.
  
• Make the second omelete by repeating the same process for the second half of the scrambled eggs.
• Slice each omelet into four long strips, for a total of eight strips of omelet.
  

Fry the spam

• To the same nonstick pan, add 2 tbsp of the oil and heat over medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add the sliced spam to the pan and fry for two minutes until browned. Flip and fry for two more minutes.
• Add the teriyaki sauce directly to the pan and fry for 2-3 more minutes, flipping the spam one time. Once the spam is browned and the sauce is reduced, remove the spam from the pan and add to a plate.

Assemble the musubis

• Place down a sheet of plastic wrap and lay the musubi mold (or spam can) on top of the plastic wrap.  Add a small handful of rice (about ⅛ of your cooked rice) to the musubi mold and use the press (or your fingers) to gently but firmly pack the rice.
  
• Remove the mold from the rice and lay the omelet on top, folding the omelet strip over once.
  
• Lay a slice of spam on top of the egg.
  
• Place the musubi on top of one strip of nori and wrap the nori around the sandwich with the seam side on the bottom.  Use a bit of water on the nori to close the seal.
  
• Repeat the assembly process for all musubis, and then serve right away or store in your refrigerate for later.

The post Spam Musubi with Egg appeared first on Eats All Day.

This is the recipe that will finally make you love brussel sprouts.  

I know, those are strong words.  But hear me out.

First you’ll smother brussel sprouts in a spicy and sweet sriracha maple syrup sauce.  Then you’ll char them in the air fryer until they’re super crispy.  

And after that, you’ll top them off with a mix of Japanese condiments similar to the ones used for takoyaki.  Think tangy Kewpie mayo, umami-packed furikake and bonito flakes, and biting scallions.

Yep, there’s a lot going on.  But it all works together so well that it’s one of the best ways to eat brussel sprouts that I’ve ever tried.

An explosion of flavors

Every now and then, there’s a recipe that I get really excited about.  And this is one of those recipes.

Each ingredient in this recipe has its purpose and they all come together to provide an amazing balance of flavors.  You’ll find sweetness, spiciness, smokiness, tanginess, creaminess, savoriness, umami, and oniony flavors all in one bite.

These brussel sprouts are so flavorful, and so indulgent, that they’d even make a good party food.  When’s the last time you saw brussel sprouts at a party?

Are these brussel sprouts really Asian?

This is not a traditionally Asian or Japanese recipe at all, though it uses some Japanese ingredients.

The condiments used to top these brussel sprouts are loosely inspired by takoyaki, the wheat-battered octopus balls from Japan.  And because they’re round, the brussel sprouts also look similar to the Japanese street food classic.

Even though this recipe is not traditional, it tastes amazing.  I’ve made it a bunch of times and it’s definitely one of those recipes that I keep going back to.

Ingredients

Brussel sprouts.  The miniature cabbages get the star treatment by being doused in sauce, charred in the air fryer, and topped with an explosion of flavors.

Sriracha.  Spicy sriracha is used in both the sauce and as a topping for the final cooked brussel sprouts.

Maple syrup.  While not an Asian ingredient, sweet maple syrup works so well in this recipe to balance out the spicy sriracha.

Kewpie mayo.  Drizzling a lot of Kewpie mayo on top is a must for this recipe.  The mayo helps tame the spiciness of the sriracha and adds a creamy richness to the final dish.

Furikake.  Furikake is typically a mixture of sesame seeds, seaweed, herbs, fish flakes, and salt.  It adds deeper flavors of saltiness and umami to the brussels sprouts.  It’s become popular in the United States and can be found in the Asian section of many grocery stores.  Trader Joe’s also has it.

Bonito flakes.  The smoked, fermented fish shavings add even more umami to the brussel sprouts.  These flakes are used to top many Japanese dishes like takoyaki (wheat-battered octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savory pancakes with cabbage), and agedashi tofu (fried tofu with a simple dashi-soy-mirin sauce).  

Scallion.  Thinly sliced scallions aren’t just for looks.  They help to round out the final dish with a fresh, oniony bite.

What kind of bonito flakes do I need?

There are many types of bonito flakes and so it could be confusing to choose the right one.  The flakes vary in their color, their thickness, and their overall size.  

This recipe uses thin, pale pink bonito flakes.  Other flakes that are thicker or more brown in color are typically better used for making dashi or for braising.  

This guide on bonito flakes is helpful to better understand all the different types and their uses.

How to make Asian brussel sprouts

1. Make the sauce.  Mix sriracha, maple syrup, canola oil and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl.
2. Roast the brussel sprouts.  Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl and add the sauce.  Toss the brussel sprouts well to evenly distribute all of the sauce.  Roast the brussel sprouts in an air fryer at 390° for a total of 14 minutes.  Shake the brussel sprouts halfway through the air frying process, at the seven minute mark, to move them around and ensure even crisping.
3. Add toppings and serve.  Top the brussel sprouts with more sriracha, Kewpie mayo, furikake, bonito flakes, and scallions.  Serve them right away.

Air fryer tips

1. Don’t be afraid to char the brussel sprouts.  Cooking the brussel sprouts for the full 14 minutes will result in some charring.  This ensures that they’re super crispy and also gives a nice smoky flavor to the dish.
2. Don’t forget to shake the brussel sprouts while cooking.  You should shake the brussel sprouts halfway through the cooking process so that different parts of the vegetables get exposed to heat and are able to crisp up.

What if I don’t have an air fryer?

This recipe can easily be made in your oven if you don’t have an air fryer.

Just add the sriracha maple sauce to your brussel sprouts and roast them on a sheet pan in a 400° oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  

Stir the brussel sprouts twice during the roasting process to ensure that different parts of the sprouts come into contact with the sheet pan and become crispy.

What to serve with Asian brussel sprouts

These sprouts are spicy and packed with flavor. They pair well with other rich, flavorful foods.

Main course:  Set these sprouts down next to spicy, cheesy Korean dishes such as Rose Tteokbokki or Army Stew, and you’ll have a super indulgent and satisfying meal.

More Vegetables:  Moochae, the Korean radish salad, pairs perfectly with these brussel sprouts.  The refreshing, spicy radishes stand up against the flavorful sprouts.

Soju:  This meal screams out for some sweet peach soju to cut through all of the spiciness and heaviness.

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Asian Brussel Sprouts – Crispy Air Fryer Version

Inspired by takoyaki, these Asian brussel sprouts are crisped in the air fryer and loaded with spicy sriracha, sweet maple syrup, and more.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword brussel sprouts, Kewpie Mayo

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

• Air fryer

Ingredients

For cooking the brussel sprouts

• 1 lb brussel sprouts
• 1 ½ tbsp sriracha
• 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp neutral oil such as canola

For topping the cooked brussel sprouts

• Kewpie mayo for drizzling on top
• sriracha for drizzling on top
• 2 tbsp furikake
• ¼ cup bonito flakes
• 2 scallions thinly sliced into rounds

Instructions

Make the sauce

• Mix sriracha, maple syrup, canola oil and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl.

Roast the brussel sprouts

• Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl and add the sauce.  Toss the brussel sprouts well to evenly distribute all of the sauce.
• Roast the brussel sprouts in an air fryer at 390° for a total of 14 minutes. 

  Shake the brussel sprouts at the 7 minute mark to move them around and ensure even crisping.
  

Add toppings and serve

• Once the brussel sprouts are finished cooking, remove them from the air fryer and add them directly to a serving dish.
• Drizzle Kewpie mayo and sriracha on the brussel sprouts in a zigzag pattern.
• Scatter the furikake all over the sprouts.
• Place the bonito flakes on top.
• Place the scallions on top of the bonito flakes.
• Serve right away.

The post Asian Brussel Sprouts – Crispy Air Fryer Version appeared first on Eats All Day.

If you love Korean barbecue as much as I do, I’m sure you’ve had moochae a bunch of times.  The famed radish salad is an essential part of the Korean barbecue experience, providing refreshing pops of freshness between those bites of sweet, salty barbecued meat. 

Moochae is often referred to as a “cheat kimchi” since the two taste so similar and since moochae is much easier to make.  While kimchi needs days to weeks to ferment, moochae can be ready in just minutes.

What is moochae?

Moochae is a popular Korean side dish made by adding shredded radish (this recipe uses daikon) to a mixture of gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and sesame oil.

While the recipe is so easy to make, it has a nicely complex flavor.  The radish provides a fresh crunch which contrasts against the spicy, savory flavors of gochugaru and fish sauce.

How to make this easy kimchi alternative

1. Prepare the daikon and scallion.  Peel the daikon with a vegetable peeler and then cut it lengthwise into thin slices.  Then cut the thin slices into matchsticks.  Chop the scallions into thin rounds.
2. Make the sauce.  Mix the gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil and salt in a small bowl.
3. Combine.  Combine the daikon, scallions, and sauce in a bowl.  Massage the sauce into the daikon.
4. Rest in the fridge.  Rest the daikon for around 30 minutes in the fridge to let it absorb all that flavor.

Tips for making moochae

1. Use gloves while mixing the radish and sauce.  I personally don’t use gloves when I mix spicy ingredients.  But I know that others have found that the spice may remain on their hands and could later burn their eyes.  So, if this kind of thing bugs you, use gloves or just a spatula to do the mixing.
2. Give it a good massage.  Gently massaging the sauce into the radish allows the flavors to really dig in.  It also improves the texture of the end dish, resulting in more flexible, bendable pieces of radish.
3. Stir it once or twice while it’s in the fridge.  While resting in the fridge, the amazing sauce will fill the bottom of the bowl.  Stir your moochae once or twice while it’s resting, to evenly distribute the sauce across all your radish.

Daikon vs. Korean radish

Daikon and Korean radishes are quite similar, and can easily be substituted for each other in almost any recipe.  So feel free to use whichever you can find for this recipe.

Since moochae is of course a Korean dish, the Korean radish would be more traditional.  But both daikon or Korean radishes taste excellent in moochae.  We’ll use daikon in this recipe, since it’s what I had on hand and since it’s more readily available in the United States.  

How are the two radishes different?

Taste.  Korean radishes are slightly more peppery than daikon, and daikon are a bit more sweet.

Texture.  Korean radishes are more crunchy than daikon.

How to serve moochae

Since Moochae has a strong, spicy flavor of its own, it’s best served alongside other spicy or meaty dishes.

Main course.  Try moochae with a Rose Tteokbokke, a Korean Army Stew, or this Hawaiian style Meat Jun.  The radish provides a great contrasting freshness alongside these meaty dishes.

Rice.  Round out your meal with some rice.

Beer.  Beer and Korean food is an epic combination, and always makes for a good night 🙂 

You can also incorporate moochae into other Korean-inspired dishes. For example, try adding moochae on top of these kimchi fries.

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Moochae – Easy Kimchi Alternative

Moochae, the spicy Korean radish salad, is an easy alternative to kimchi and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Keyword Daikon

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Rest in fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• ½ of a whole daikon
• 2 scallions
• 1 ½ tbsp gochugaru
• 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp Kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove minced

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables

• Peel the daikon with a vegetable peeler and then cut it lengthwise into thin slices.  Then cut the thin slices into matchsticks. 
  
• Gently squeeze the julienned daikon over a sink to remove excess moisture.
• Chop the scallions into thin rounds.

Make the sauce

• Mix the gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, sesame oil, salt and minced garlic in a small bowl.

Combine

• Add the daikon and scallions, along with the sauce, to a medium bowl.  Use your hands or a spatula to massage the sauce into the daikon.

  If you are sensitive to spice, use gloves while massaging by hand.

Rest

• Rest the moochae for around 30 minutes in the fridge to let it absorb the flavors.
• While resting in the fridge, stir the moochae once or twice in order to evenly distribute the sauce onto the radish.

The post Moochae – Easy Kimchi Alternative appeared first on Eats All Day.

It’s hard to make celery taste good.  It’s boring.  And stringy.  I mean, it literally has like five calories.  I don’t know about you, but I usually feel like the more calories something has, the better it tastes.  

Asazuke transforms celery into something you’ll actually want to eat.  

By gently peeling the outside of the celery, you’ll remove its stringy texture.  And by massaging and soaking the celery in a mixture of vinegar, dashi, salt, sugar and chili, you’ll add a surprising complexity of acid-salt-sweet-umami-and-spicy.

What is Japanese Quick Pickled Celery (Asazuke)?

This pickle is a type of Asazuke, which is a Japanese method of quickly pickling vegetables.  

All different types of vegetables can get the quick pickle treatment.  Cucumbers, cabbage, and daikon are popular asazuke pickles.  Celery is a bit less popular, but works so well as an asazuke since it has a super crunchy texture that’s fun to eat.

How to make Japanese Quick Pickled Celery

This recipe is so quick and takes just 10 minutes of active time, plus 30 more to rest.

Peel and chop the celery.  Use a vegetable peeler to gently peel the outer layer of the celery stalk.  This step is crucial as it removes the stringiness from your final pickle.  Then chop the celery into bite-sized pieces on a bias and at a steep angle.

Mix the celery with the pickling agents.  Add the celery to a ziploc bag along with the vinegar, salt, sugar, dashi powder, and chili.

Massage the celery.  Once in the bag, use your hands to give the celery a good massage.  Do this for about 5 minutes.  The massaging process helps the liquid seep deep down into the celery.

Rest the celery.  Put the bag of celery in the fridge and let them sit for around 30 minutes.  If you’re really in a hurry to eat, you can let them sit for just ten minutes.

Three tips for making Japanese Quick Pickled Celery (Asazuke)

1. Peel your celery.  Peeling the outer layer of the celery with a vegetable peeler is a crucial step that removes the stringiness from your final pickle.  You’ll end up with a super crisp, super crunchy pickle that’s easy to bite through.

2. Cut the celery on a bias at a steep angle.  Cutting the celery on a bias not only looks great, it also helps more of the pickling liquid seep into the celery.  The more of the inside of the celery that you’re exposing to the liquid, the more flavorful your pickle will be.

3. Massage the celery with the pickling agents.  Once you’ve got the celery and pickling liquid in a ziploc bag, give them a real good massage.  A five minute massage will drastically heighten the flavor of the final pickle.

Ingredients

Celery.  Crisp celery becomes the canvas for acidic, sweet, salty, spicy flavors from the pickling liquid.

Rice vinegar.  Bright, acidic rice vinegar shines through, providing the most prominent flavor of this pickle.

Salt & Sugar.  Using both salt and sugar add layers of complexity.  

Dashi powder.  Dashi powder adds depth and umami to the pickle.  Asazuke often uses kombu, but this recipe keeps it simple and uses the instant dashi powder.

Dried chili.  Chili brings a subtle spiciness and fruitiness to the dish.  Don’t skip the chili as it really ties everything together.  Any kind of small, spicy chili works in this recipe.  

What kind of chili pepper do I need?

Asazuke are a quick, casual way to eat pickles.  So you don’t need to worry too much about the kind of chili pepper you use.

In this recipe, I’m using a dried facing-heaven chili from Sichuan.  I like this type of pepper since it has a super fruity taste that adds another note of je-ne-sais-quois.

But you can use any small, spicy dried chili from Japan, China, Korea or even Mexico or India.

How long do these pickles last?

Asazuke are best eaten fresh.  

But you can store these pickles in the fridge for 2-3 days.  The texture will change over time, but they’ll still be tasty.

How to serve Japanese Quick Pickled Celery

Pickles are such a quick way to up your cooking game and make your meals feel special.

Throw these down next to something spicy, like Mapo Tofu, or something rich, like Sushi Bake, and you’ll love how these pickles add a sharp freshness to your meal.

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Japanese Quick Pickled Celery (Asazuke)

Celery finally finds its place in the spotlight with this recipe for crisp, slightly spicy Japanese Quick Pickled Celery. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Pickle

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Rest in fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 3 stalks celery
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dashi powder
• 1 small, spicy dried chili sliced into thin rounds

Instructions

Peel and chop the celery

• Use a vegetable peeler to gently peel the outer layer of the celery stalk.  This step is crucial as it removes the stringiness from your final pickle. 
  
• Then chop the celery into bite-sized pieces on a bias and at a steep angle.
  

Mix the celery with the pickling agents

• Add the celery to a ziploc bag along with the vinegar, salt, sugar, dashi powder, and sliced chili.
  
• Once in the bag, use your hands to give the celery a good massage.  Do this for about 5 minutes.  The massaging process helps the liquid seep deep down into the celery.

Rest the celery

• Put the bag of celery in the fridge and let them rest for around 30 minutes.  If you’re really in a hurry to eat, you can let them sit for just 10 minutes.

The post Japanese Quick Pickled Celery (Asazuke) appeared first on Eats All Day.