PORTLAND, Maine — Joe Ricchio is a familiar face in the 207 studio, often stopping by to discuss his latest food journey - whether it be the best barbeque in Maine, or the finest off-the-beaten-path diners across the state. Joe knows food, and writes and reviews food and restaurants for local publications as well as Bon Appetit and Boston Magazine. He is also the colorful host of The Food Coma podcast. His latest endeavor is a cookies series called "My Seventies Kitchen" (wait til you see those cabinets) where Food Coma fans can follow along as Joe creates some classic dishes - and support his cooking show by clicking here. We got to have a front-row seat while he showed us how to make Kimchi Tofu Stew.
Kimchi Tofu Stew
3 cups kimchi
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)
2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 16-ounce block of firm tofu, pressed to remove some of the liquid, cubed, and lightly salted
2 quarts chicken broth
6 scallions, chopped
4 eggs, cracked into a bowl
Maldon sea salt
Cracked white pepper
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Preparation:
1 - In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, sauté the kimchi for 3–4 minutes, until some of the liquid starts to cook off.
2 - Add onion, garlic, sesame oil, gochujang, gochugaru, and soy sauce, continuing to cook while stirring constantly. Add the tofu and continue to stir-fry for another minute, before pouring in the broth. Bring to a boil, drop to a simmer, and let it roll for 20 minutes.
3 - Add the chopped scallions and bring the heat back up, close to a boil. Drop in the eggs, kill the heat (leaving the pot on the burner), and cover. Let the stew sit for 5 minutes.
4 - Stir the stew, then season it to taste with sea salt and white pepper. Ladle it into bowls, trying to divide the eggs up accordingly. Garnish with more scallions and/or chopped cilantro. Serves 6–7.