Ddukbokki redux – Momofuku style
12 Jan
I went to Momofuku Noodle Bar a while back and sat at the bar, watching the chefs at work. As dinner went on, I noticed that one of the chefs was grilling three pieces of dduk(rice cake) on the grill. Then I watched, as they added the sauce to make ddukbokki, which looked very similar to my version.
At that point, I really wanted to order it but didn’t want to spend $9 for such a small plate. Plus, I was already full from the other yummy noodles. But my curiosity was aroused. Why did he cook the dduk that way? Then I got my answer in David Chang’s new cookbook. He explained that grilling the dduk was something he learned from his grandfather, who used to live in Japan. Awesome! I now had this great opportunity to recreate one of my favorite recipes of all time with a different technique.
The combination of spices used in this recipe is pretty standard: red pepper paste, sugar, and some kind of meat flavoring for the broth. But the addition of dwenjang (bean paste) added a brand new depth of flavor that I didn’t expect. And the rice cakes become a completely new ingredient when grilled, not boiled. I loved this version and will continue to use this method from now on (sorry mom!). Below is David Chang’s recipe, with minor tweaks on my part.
Recipe: roasted rice cakes (ddukbokki)
From Momofuku cookbook
12 rice cakes
½ cup of Korean Red Dragon Sauce
¼ cup of mirin
¼ cup of bacon dashi (I used kelp and anchovy broth)
¼ cup of roasted onions
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
½ cup sliced green onions
Combine mirin and bacon dashi in a saucepan big enough to hold the rice cakes later. Boil to reduce until lightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Korean Red Dragon Sauce, turn the heat down to medium and reduce the sauce to a glossy consistency, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the roasted onions. Cover and keep warm until rice cakes are ready.
While the sauce is reducing, heat a very clean cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot[my cast iron skillet is not very clean. oh well]. Add the oil to the pan and when it just starts to smoke, add the rice cakes. Sear the rice cakes for about 3 minutes per side until they’re light golden brown. [I think 3 minutes is too long; I would do about 2 minutes on each side]. Slice dduk into smaller pieces.
Bring the sauce back up to a a boil and toss the rice cakes in for a few seconds until they’re evenly coated. Add sesame seeds and toss again. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with green onions.
Korean Red Dragon Sauce
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
¾ cup ssamjang (combined gochujang and dwenjang, about 1:3 ratio)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the ssamjang to dissolve it. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Taste the sauce; no one flavor should stand out, but all should be present and accounted for. Adjust as necessary.
