For the third challenge, we were asked to host and blog about a luxury dinner party for at least four people. I have to admit that I really struggled with this challenge because I wasn't quite sure what to make for a luxury dinner. I am more of a casual and comfortable hostess. I like my guests to get involved with the cooking while we sip wine and catch up. Quite simply, elegant and luxury are not words that I would use to describe any kind of dinner party that I would ever host and I really struggled to put together a menu for this dinner. Since I have friends visiting this weekend, they would naturally be my dinner guests and I decided to look to them for direction. I asked my friends what they would most like for me to cook for them for a "luxury dinner party". Since neither of them has ever tried Korean cuisine before, they both wanted a traditional Korean dish.
With this direction, my menu took shape before I knew it and I was off and running.
First up, I got to work on Mama Chang's Pork and Chive Dumplings. I learned this recipe during my first cooking class at Myers + Chang. I've been dying to try this recipe out in my own kitchen and this dinner party provided me with the perfect excuse. Plus, these dumplings can be prepared ahead of time, which is always helpful when you are hosting a dinner party. The more preparation you can do ahead of time, the better. I carefully followed the recipe and instructions as I prepared the dumplings. When I finished making the dumplings, I put plastic wrap on them and put them in the fridge to pan-fry and steam later.
I then got to work on my entree.
For the entree, I decided to make jajangmyeon because it is my absolute favorite Korean dish. Jajangmyeon is a warm noodle dish topped with a black soybean sauce. The name really describes the dish. "Jajang" means "fried sauce" and "myeon" means noodle. It is really rich and luscious dish, which I thought would make it great for a luxury dinner party. Since this is a dish that I absolutely love, I knew that I would really enjoy making this for my guests and I think it is always important to make something that you can put your heart into.
To get started on the dish, I cubed up one potato and one and half yellow onion into one-inch cubes.
I lightly cooked the vegetables in a saucepan on medium heat with some vegetable oil just until the onions slightly softened and then I removed it from the pan. I then cubed up a little under a pound of lean stew beef.
I could have chosen a more expensive cut of beef but I chose this cheaper cut because I wanted something tender for this noodle dish. I've learned from my mother that the best meals don't have to come from the most expensive ingredients but with ingredients that are treated with respect and care. I generously seasoned the beef with salt and pepper. I then browned the meat in the already heated saucepan and after a few minutes added the vegetables back into pan to pan fry. When the meat was almost fully cooked and the onions were crispy, I added a cup and a half of water. The water is important because it helps provide the liquid for the sauce and also helps the cubed potato cook through. While the meat and vegetables continue to stew, I got the most important ingredient - the black bean paste.
This is a salty paste made of roasted soybeans and can be purchased at most Asian supermarkets. You definitely cannot eat this alone because it is too salty and it needs to be diluted with water. I added about three heaping tablespoons to my meat, vegetable and water mixture on the stove. I stirred all the ingredients together and gave it a taste. If it is done properly, jajangmyeon should taste slightly sweet and slightly salty. If it is too salty, you add more water. It is not an exact science; you make this sauce entirely by taste. In this instance, I had the perfect amount of water for flavor but my sauce was too thin so I stirred in two tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. I lowered the sauce to a simmer while I got ready for the evening.
First up, I set the table. Typically Bret and I eat at our kitchen but whenever we have guests or a special occasion, we tend to eat in our dining room.
Just eating in this room makes you feel like it is a special occasion. I like using dim lighting, even if it isn't great for photographs, and I also love lighting candles. Of course, I always make sure to use unscented candles because you don't want the smell of the candle to interfere with your sense of smell as you enjoy your meal!
When my guests were ready, I let them choose a bottle from our wine selection and we decided on the 2009 Blue Fin Pinot Noir. While none of us were wine experts, I think we were all surprised at how nice this pinot noir since it is one from Trader Joe's inexpensive wine selection.
While everyone began enjoying their wine, I headed back to the kitchen and put a large pot of water with a few generous pinches of salt to boil for my pasta water. While the water was boiling, I also put a skillet on the stove with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil at medium-high heat. When the pan was hot, I added my dumplings and gave them a good sear on one side for about five minutes. When one side was browned, I lowered the heat to medium and sprinkled four tablespoons of water to the pan and put a lid on it to let the dumplings cook through. This wasn't how I learned to do it at Myers + Chang but this is how my mom taught me to cook it when I was young. When the water had cooked down, I knew that the pork filling had been properly cooked and the dumplings were ready.
I served the dumplings with my favorite Asian dipping sauce - Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce. It is a combination of both spicy and sweet...and seriously addictive!
As everyone dug into the dumplings in the living room, I returned back to the kitchen and added a box of linguine to the water. While the pasta was cooking, I increased the heat on my sauce, which had been simmering, to medium-high heat and cooked it until the sauce began to boil.
When the pasta was ready, I drained it and put a generous portion into each pasta bowl.
I topped it with the hearty black bean sauce filled with beef, potatoes and onions.
I waited with anticipation as everyone dug in. Since this dish is so rich, I served a side of cold and crispy kimchi to help cut the lushness of this pasta dish. I'd like to pretend I made this kimchi but this is actually some of my mom's kimchi that I always have in my fridge!
Since I'm the only one who has tried jajangmyeon before, I think everyone else was really nervous at what this black sauce tasted like. But everyone really loved this hearty noodle dish and the men both asked for seconds! Could there be any better compliment than asking for a second helping?
Since we were going out that evening for a friend's birthday, I decided to skip the dessert to make room for the cocktails that we'd indulge in later that night. Even without dessert, we were all stuffed. With our bellies full and smiles on our faces, I knew that this dinner party was a success. No matter the theme, the most important thing you can remember for any dinner party is that with a little preparation, when you're with good company and you put your heart into your food, the evening will be a success!
No comments:
Post a Comment