Tuesday, April 14, 2009

re-creating and a re-do

If you recall, last month I made taegu which was too salty. With the rest of the dried codfish, I soaked it in water overnight then used the same recipe for the sauce and I also added 1 teaspoon of kim chee starter.

I liked this version, it wasn't as salty as my first trial and the fish was softer. It was definitely easier to separate from the bone too (though I did find while eating that I missed some). I think the next time I try making this, I will try it with cuttlefish.

Since I had some potatoes that needed to be used, I wanted to try making the korean potatoes that I sometimes get in Hawaii whenever I eat Korean take-out. I found an easy recipe in Jean Watanabe Hee's "Salads, Sides and Soups".

Here is the recipe if you want to try making it:

Korean Potatoes : 6 servings

3 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Hawaiian salt

Soy sauce mixture:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or less, adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Peel and cut potatoes into bite sized pieces. Immerse in brine of water and salt for 10 minutes; drain. Place potatoes in skillet and pour soy sauce mixture over. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.


NOTES: while typing this recipe, I realized I didn't put the oil into the sauce. Still, the potatoes are tasty and just like the potatoes you can get at most Hawaii Korean take-out places.

Another comfort food I tried making was portuguese sausage. When we lived in Hawaii, Satoshi and I loved this especially for breakfast and loved putting it into chili. There is supposed to be a flavor packet made by Noh Foods for making portuguese sausage, but I've never found it at the local markets in Hawaii. My mom clipped out the recipe from the paper and sent it to me this past Christmas. (Thanks Mom!)

Portuguese Sausage Patties from HSB "By Request", who got it from Muriel Miura's "Hawai`i Cooks & Saves"

2 pounds pork, coarsely ground or chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 chili peppers, chopped
2 to 2.5 teaspoons salt or 1.5 teaspoons rock salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin, optional
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring, optional
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Combine pork with garlic, chilies, salt and spices.
Combine water with food coloring, vinegar and liquid smoke.
Pour over pork mixture and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate 2 days, mixing occasionally.
Shape into thin, 2-inch wide patties and fry in ungreased skillet 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
Makes 32 patties, serves 8.


NOTES: I didn't add the cumin, food coloring or liquid smoke. The texture was more like pork sausage, a little different from the portuguese sausage that we know, but it tasted ono (delicious in Hawaiian)! When I fried some up for breakfast, I used a tablespoon to scoop out the sausage mixture, rolled it in my palms then flattened it. The rest of the sausage mixture, I divvied up and put it into the freezer so we have some to fry up for other breakfasts.

The last thing I tried re-creating was a reuben. We don't have delis here where you can get sandwiches made, so I was happy to come across pastrami, rye bread and sauerkraut at the supermarket. The rye bread tasted more like white bread with hard seeds in it, but the pastrami and sauerkraut were delicious. I didn't add any type of dressing, but I did add some cheese and cornichons on the side....delicious.

What have you been eating?

20 comments:

2kamuela47 said...

aah! comfort food! Thanks for recipe I am going to try this one soon!

KirkK said...

Hi Kat - I used to be addicted to those potatoes as well!

K and S said...

I hope you like them Laura :)

Thanks Kirkk, so you don't eat them anymore??

Take care you two.
Kat

Deb in Hawaii said...

You have been eating well!

I wonder if the sausage would be good with ground turkey? Hmm...

K and S said...

I don't see why not Deb, will be waiting to see your results :)

Take care.
Kat

Asian Food said...

Wow Kat! Potatoes are my ultimate comfort food! I will try this recipe once I get home. (I wish there are potatoes left in the fridge). Just a question - shouldn't the potatoes turn dark in color because of the soy sauce?

K and S said...

You are right Asian Food, my soy sauce is the usukuchi (light) version, not sure if that is why the coloring is lighter. I hope you enjoy this.

Take care.
Kat

Coconut Girl Connie said...

the korean take out that was located in the ward warehouse complex in honolulu used to serve a potato that was like your recipe, but also had mayonnaise on it, would you happen to know where to get a recipe like that, or do you think they just tossed the prepared potatoes in mayonnaise?

K and S said...

hmmm I guess you could make this recipe then toss them in mayo CGC :) if you try it this way, let me know how you like it!

Take care.
Kat

Lori said...

Wow! I have never seen a recipe for homemade portuguese sausage before - so cool! And this one is so much better without all the preservatives. Glad it turned out ono! :)

K and S said...

Thanks Lori, I know you guys are trying to eat more vegetarian, but if you give this recipe a try, let me know how you like it :)

Take care.
Kat

Anonymous said...

I find it hard to find good non white bread in Japan.. Pasco rye bread tastes just like the way you described it.. I sometimes it hard to swallow without toasting it..

K and S said...

Yes it is Julia, but I find that if you go to the small bakeries (not the ones in the supermarkets) you can find really good "hard type" breads there. The bread in the post was the the Takagi bakery's packaged rye bread but it wasn't good, next time I'll go to my favorite small bakery.

Take care.
Kat

sheri said...

I just tried Ellie Kreiger's Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta from "Foods that You Crave." It was GREAT!!! I poured it over brown rice....It made a wonderful meal last night on a nasty and rainy evening!

Thistlemoon said...

Love that sausage and those potatoes look great too!

lazy mom said...

Hi, I really enjoy reading your blog...I think I found it when I was looking for some Japanese recipes. I'm not really familiar with "Taegu" found in Hawaii but it means cod in Korean. I get shredded dried cod fish in the Korean grocery store called "Book-uh" and it doesn't have fish bones. I'm not a big fan of marinated dried fish (I prefer dried cuttle fish) but I have tried them as a side dish.

Lori said...

Hey kat,
The key word there is "trying" - haha! Did you see my Japan posts? I was totally eating tonkatsu, sashimi, etc. :)

K and S said...

ooh I've seen the photo in the book for that recipe Sheri, will remember to try it on a blustery evening :)

Thank you JennDZ!

Thank you Lazy mom! You are lucky to find de-boned codfish :)

I think changing your eating habits will take some time Lori, to me, doing it a little at a time is the best way to go :)

Take care everyone.
Kat

Rowena said...

I'm gonna try those potatoes for lunch. Sounds delicious (and everything else by the way). You are definitely in a cooking mood/mode. Me, I'm too busy playing with dirt ;-P

K and S said...

I hope you like them Rowena :)

Take care.
Kat