Savory Flavors for Unsavory Weather

(KFC) Korean Fried Chicken

During the winter months at Roche Harbor, the kitchen slows down to a slow simmer and my team and I love to sneak away to Seattle to taste the latest culinary creations from the city’s innovative chefs. On our last visit we went in search of the best fried chicken. After gorging ourselves at the Wandering Goose, Ezell’s, and The Skillet Diner, we stepped into a Bok a Box Fried Chicken in Capitol Hill. We ordered a little of everything on the menu to go. After a few minutes, our name was called and we grabbed our food, headed out the door, and spread out our Korean banquet over the hood of my truck. From the Kimchi Mac and Cheese to the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, we knew we had to find a way to put a Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich on our menu.

Makes 4 sandwiches

• 4 – 5 ounces chicken breast, boneless
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup gochujang red chili paste
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon coriander, ground
• 1 Tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon ginger, grated
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon gochujang Chili sauce
• ¼ cup May Ploy Sweet Red Chili Sauce
• 1 cup tempura batter mix (Krusteaz brand)
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 4 each soft torpedo roll 6 to 8 inches long
• ½ cup kimchi, rough chopped
• ½ cup cabbage, sliced ¼ inch
• ½ cup English cucumber, sliced ¼ inch
• ¼ cup pickled jalapeno, sliced

Directions: Place chicken breast, one at a time, on a piece of plastic food wrap, then cover with another sheet of food wrap. Using the flat end of a meat-tenderizing hammer, gently pound the breast to an even thickness of ¾ inch. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, gochujang, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, coriander, ginger and black pepper. Mix well to combine. Place flattened chicken breast in a zip lock bag and pour soy sauce and gochujang mixture over chicken breasts. Remove most of air from bag and seal. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add vegetable oil, garlic and ginger. When garlic and ginger have softened, about 1 to 2 minutes, add brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, sesame oil, gochujang and the sweet red chili sauce. Mix to combine and add to the simmering brown sugar–soy sauce. Stir until sauce thickens to a barbeque sauce consistency. Korean Barbeque Sauce can be made ahead and held refrigerated for 5 to 6 days.

In a medium bowl, prepare tempura batter as directed on Krusteaz box, substituting cold beer for water. Remove marinated chicken breasts from bag, scrape off excess marinade, and discard. In a Dutch oven on medium high heat, add 4 cups of vegetable oil and heat to 350˚ F. Dip marinated chicken, one at time, in tempura batter and allow excess batter to drip off before placing in hot oil. Cook chicken until golden brown or about 8 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 150˚ F. Remove and place on a wire rack to drain.

Preheat broiler to high. Slice open the roll and place on a baking sheet with cut side facing up. Broil until warm and slightly toasted. In a small bowl, add kimchi and cabbage. Mix to combine. Divide the kimchi mix into 4 equal amounts and place on the bottom-toasted roll followed by the crispy chicken. Top the chicken with a heaping tablespoon full of warm Korean Barbeque Sauce followed by 4 slices of cucumber and 4 slices of jalapeno.

Chicken Parmesan

Makes 4 Servings

• 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 Tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 cups ziti pasta, cooked al dente
• 4 cups garlic cream sauce (see recipe)
• ½ cup Tillamook sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• ½ cup Tillamook mild cheddar cheese, grated
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ lbs. Dungeness crab meat

Directions: In a 4-quart Dutch oven on medium heat, add olive oil. When olive oil is hot, add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often to avoid browning, until soft and translucent, about 15 to 20 minutes. Deglaze with white wine; allow wine to evaporate until the onions are almost dry. Add tomatoes with liquid, herbs, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring and scraping the pan until the tomatoes fall apart and the sauce becomes thick and rich, about 45 minutes to an hour. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to make the sauce less chunky. Place in a shallow heatproof dish and cool in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. The sauce can be made 4 to 5 days in advance and the rest time reduces the acidity in the sauce.

Place chicken breast on cutting board and butterfly breast by holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut through breast along the long side, stopping ½ inch before cutting all the way through. Open up the breast like a book with the connected side acting as the spine. Place the butterflied breast between two pieces of food film and gently pound until as thin as possible without tearing the meat, ideally to about ¼ inch and about 9 inches in diameter.

Place whipped eggs, breadcrumbs, and flour in separate shallow pans. Season breast on both sides with steak salt. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip into bowl, then coat in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess.

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium high heat until very hot (an instant read thermometer should be at 450˚ to 475˚ and the oil should just begin to smoke). Carefully add the breaded cutlet into the skillet and let it slide into the oil so that it lies flat. Swirl the oil in the skillet and cook until golden brown or about 30 to 45 seconds. Using tongs, carefully turn culet and cook until golden brown on other side, about 30 seconds (it does not need to be fully cooked as it will continue to cook under the broiler). Drain and discard oil from pan leaving the golden-brown chicken cutlet in skillet.

Ladle 4 ounces of warm marinara over the top of cutlet and spread evenly to outside edges. Sprinkle ¼ cup (.75 ounce) of grated Parmesan evenly over marinara. Place under salamander or broiler until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place completed chicken Parmesan on a heated 9-inch plate and serve.

Chef’s Notes:
1. The breaded cutlet will tighten up during the cooking process and the finished thickness of the meat will be 3/8’.

2. It is important that the oil is very hot and that the browning process is very quick so that the chicken is not overcooked before it goes under the broiler.

3. When melting cheese in broiler, do not overcook cheese or it will form an unwanted crust.

Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Cannon Ball

Seattle Sourdough Baking Company has been baking their famous Waterfront Sourdough since the early ‘80s at Miner’s Landing at Pier 57 on the Seattle waterfront and continues to serve the local Seattle restaurants and downtown area with authentic sourdough. This recipe takes this famed Seattle bread to another level by roasting it with butter, fresh garlic, and a mixture of provolone, Parmesan, and white cheddar.

Serves 4 as a side dish

• 1 – 9 ounces sourdough round
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated
• ¼ cup provolone cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup white cheddar, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated

Directions: Preheat oven to 350˚. Use the convection feature if your oven is so equipped. Place sourdough round on cutting board. Using a bread knife or serrated knife, cut though the center of the loaf using a sawing action, leaving the bottom ½ inch of the bread intact. Turn the bread round one-quarter turn and repeat the slicing method while leaving the bottom ½ inch attached. The bread should now be sliced into 4 attached wedges. Repeat the slicing method to create 8 wedges that are connected at the bottom of the sourdough round.

In a small bowl combine: softened butter, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Then stir ingredients into a creamy consistency. Gently pull the loaf apart and spread half of the garlic butter between the slices of bread. Stuff the shredded provolone and cheddar in equal amounts into the slices of bread. Place the stuffed bread round on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the 350˚ oven. Remove the toasted sourdough round from the oven when the bread is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter and pour over the toasted sourdough round. Garnish with Parmesan and serve on a wooden cutting board.