The Perfect Dish for this Cold Winter Day

Almost spring, but you'd never know it looking out the window. Snow, snow, still snow.  Bare black branches reaching for the sky. Icy cold.  Except for the hawks, all the birds are hiding and there's not a deer in sight.

This cold weather makes me long for something spicy - and these rice sticks with shrimp are exactly what I feel like eating.  Perhaps it's because I first tasted them at Momofuku - and today I read that David Chang is closing Ma Peche.

Spicy Korean Rice Sticks with Shrimp and Vegetables

Shopping list: 300 grams Korean rice sticks, 2 Tablespoons Korean red pepper paste (kochujang), 1 pound asparagus, 1/2 pound shrimp, 3 scallions

staples: brown sugar, cayenne pepper, 3 cloves garlic, vinegar, vegetable oil, 1 onion.

Serves 2.

Korean rice sticks (Ddeok) were a completely new ingredient to me, and I loved experimenting with them.  Left to their own devices they are innocuous and rather bland.  But they play very well with other ingredients.  This recipe offers you the crunch of rice sticks, the joy of crisp vegetables, and the chile-garlic heat that characterizes Korean cooking. 

Rice sticks usually come in 300 gram packages, and I’ve found that they’re best fresh. If the ones you find are frozen, just let them sit on the counter to defrost. Do not buy the kind that are labeled “unfrozen”; they have an odd, almost dehydrated texture and won’t work for this recipe.

Koreans usually eat rice sticks boiled or cooked right in with the vegetables, but to me they taste best pan-roasted, which gives them a delightfully crunchy exterior.  Heat a lightly oiled cast iron skillet over medium high heat for a few minutes and roast the rice sticks just until they begin to brown.  Remove them from the heat, and if you want them in smaller pieces, cut them up.

Make a sauce by mixing two tablespoons of the gochujang (the Korean red pepper paste), with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, a teaspoon of  cayenne,  3 cloves of smashed garlic, a splash of soy sauce and another splash of balsamic, sherry or rice vinegar.

Heat a wok, add a bit of neutral oil and toss in a thinly sliced onion until it just begins to send its perfume into the air. Add an equal amount of sliced cabbage, sliced broccoli or asparagus, and a half pound of small peeled shrimp, tossing until the shrimp begin to turn rosy.  Add the sauce and the rice sticks, and if it looks as if it needs it, a bit of water. At the very end, add a sliced green onion, toss well and serve.