David Chang, you rock!

A while back I went to the 10th anniversary of Craft restaurant.  I've always been a fan of David Changs Restaurants but what he made that night Blew me away. Momofuku has always been my personal favorite and the other night, I had a serious hankering for Dok Boki, so I whipped some up with the ingredients I had on hand using David Chang's recipe from the Momofuku cookbook. I sadly didn't have everything specified in the recipe so some were left out, but it still turned out super tasty!  Also, These ingredients can be found in any supermarket in korea town or at the asian supermarkets around st. marks place. This book is amamamamamazing and is a perfect addiction to any cooking book collection. Anyways see below for my rundown:

You'll need:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup ssämjang {Korean fermented bean chile sauce usually comes in a red rectangular tub}

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sherry vinegar {didn't have sherry so I used white balsamic vinegar}

1 teaspoon of Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons of grape seed oil

Rice Cake Sticks {I used the frozen tubular kind}

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

optional: 1/4 roasted onions {didn't have onions but I'd add this next time}

Here's how:

— Make the sauce by bringing the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the ssämjang to dissolve it. Stir in the soy, vinegar, and sesame oil and taste the sauce. No one flavor should stand out, but all should be present and accounted for. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

— If you have frozen rice cakes, cook in boiling water for a few minutes until al dente but not too soft {They'll continue to cook when grilled}. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the grapeseed oil to pan, and add rice cakes just when it's about to smoke. They should sizzle when they hit the oil, then drop heat to medium. Sear for 3 minutes per side until a light golden brown.

— Bring the sauce back to a boil and toss the rice cakes in the sauce for a few seconds until evenly coated. Divide rice cakes into bowls and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Remember, this dish is spicy and best served and enjoyed with other more mild dishes!

Enjoy!