Kimchi Butter Udon

Adapted, extremely slightly, from https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kimchi-udon-with-scallions
4 Servings.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup finely chopped kimchi, plus 1/3 cup kimchi juice
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound fresh (or frozen) udon noodles
Kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced on a diagonal


1) Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chopped kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring occasionally, until kimchi is softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add broth and kimchi juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
2) We then let it sit for a while, just so prep was mostly cleaned before dinnertime.
3) Boil noodles according to directions
4) Using tongs, transfer noodles to skillet and add remaining 3 Tbsp. butter; cook, tossing often, until sauce coats noodles, about 2 minutes. Add to bowl and mix in the egg yolks so that they cook in the hot noodles. Sprinkle scallions and, if interested, furikake, over the top.

Ginger & Cabbage fish

 This is the easiest fancy recipe I know. It also scales really well. Below serves 4.
Adapted, slightly, from https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/soy-and-ginger-steamed-fish

About a pound of skinless fish, cut into 4 portions. We've used snapper and black cod for this, but probably any studyish fish, including salmon, would work.
1 piece kombu (maybe 5x4)
3/4 cup water
2 Tbs sake
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mirin
1/2 large cabbage, thinly sliced. Maybe more, the cabbage part is delicious
8-12 oz. mixed mushrooms (we use a mix of shiitake and enoki), torn into pieces
1 2" piece ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks (thin is important)
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced

 

1) put kombu at bottom of a dutch oven, then add water, sake, soy sauce, mirin, half of the sesame oil.
2) Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and put in the cabbage followed by the ginger and mushrooms.
3) Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, halfway through pushing the cabbage down so that by the end it all ends up in the broth.
4) You can either leave it out for a while (that's what we do - basically that means almost all of the prep and cleaning is done before dinner gets served)
5) Cover both sides of the fish with a light dusting of salt, the gently put on the cabbage/mushroom bed on while the liquid is on a heat to make it simmer for about 8 minutes, until just cooked through (with thicker fillets it may take a bit longer). It is good with a bit of shichimi togarashi sprinkled over it for heat