Kimchi Bucatini
Inspirations: Bucatini Amatriciana recipe I saw on notanothercookingshow.tv; gochugaru mac and cheese from thetblog.net; kimchi udon from Bon Appetit
Number of times I’ve made this dish: A dozen or so
Early mistakes I made: Honestly, there are many mistakes on this dish. One time I put a cold egg yolk on top and it sorta just cooled down the whole pasta.
Lessons learned: Using a soup ladle and long tweezers to plate a pasta mountain.
Secrets unlocked: Reducing pasta water, concentrates the starch. Adding cold butter and cheese to emulsify into the sauce without curdling the cheese.
Practical culinary science learned: Concentrating flavors (ie. chicken jus) and reducing ingredients (pasta water) are keys to improving dishes. There’s a time and place for more water, but generally you’re trying to reduce water content.
Techniques improved through repetition: Learning when a pasta is done without using a timer. Also learning to finish cooking the dry pasta in sauce until it's al dente to have a better finish.
Ingredients (13)
Ingredients (13)
Garnishes
Instructions
Rub the pork jowl (¾ lb) with doenjang (3 Tbsp), then let sit for at least 2 hours—preferably overnight—in the fridge.
The next day, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the pork. Cook until browned on both sides and nearly cooked through—about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Separately, set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then melt 2 tablespoons butter.
Once the butter has mostly stopped bubbling, add the chopped kimchi (1 cup) and gochujang (2 Tbsp), and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the kimchi juice (⅓ cup) and reduced chicken stock (½ cup), then simmer for another 4–5 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the jowl into small pieces and add to the sauce.
Cook your pasta (½ lb) until just shy of fully cooked. Strain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Add the pasta to the sauce. Toss/mix to combine, then add the parmigiano (¾ cup) and a splash of pasta water, stirring constantly. Add a little more water if the sauce looks too dry/tight. Finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Garnish with scallions, nori, sesame seeds, and a raw egg yolk (1).
If you have nice eggs and feel comfortable with it, you can bring the egg yolks to room temp before adding to the pasta.