1. Bibimbap’s Signature Layer of Crunchy Rice Comes From Its Cooking Vessel: Bibimbap is traditionally cooked in a pot called a dolsot, whose shape helps create the thick layer of crunchy, golden-brown rice. But you don’t need to own a dolsot to mimic these results. Use a Dutch oven, and make enough to feed the whole family. [Buy Our Favorite Dutch Oven on Amazon]
2. When Making Bibimbap, Use Short-Grain White Rice: Also known as sushi rice, short-grain white rice cooks up to a nice, sticky consistency, and gives you that crusty layer you’re looking for.
3. You Need Some Gochujang In Your Life: Gochujang is a Korean condiment made from red chili peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It’s equal parts spicy and sweet, and helps form the backbone of Korean cuisine. We use it in the sauce components of both recipes in this episode. You’ll want to put this stuff on everything—especially fried eggs.
4. Say Goodbye to Buffalo Wings and Hello to Crispy Korean Chicken Wings: OK, Buffalo wings are still great, but so too are these Korean-style chicken wings. What makes these wings so good? They’ve got a thin, crispy exterior, and they’re covered with a spicy-sweet-salty sauce (good thing you picked up that container of gochujang!). How do they get so crispy without sogging out when we dip them in sauce? We double fry the wings—this removes more water from the skin than a single fry, making the coating extra crispy.
5. If You Like to Deep-Fry, Get Yourself a Spider Skimmer: Unlike slotted spoons, spider skimmers have an open basket which allows for quicker, safer oil drainage when plucking pieces of fried chicken or homemade donuts from frying oil. Our favorite spider skimmer from Kuhn Rikon [Buy Now on Amazon] has a long handle and a moderately deep—but not too deep—basket.
Quote of the Week: “That sounds like comfort food nirvana. I mean, bibimbap is basically the mac-and-cheese of Korean food.” —Bridget Lancaster on the greatness that is bibimbap
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