Kimchi Bacon Hash, Egg And Gochujang Hollandaise

Korean Food Bibimbap with Kimchi-jpeg

Writing recipes is hard work.  Each week my goal is to post a recipe for you to read and hopefully make too.  I might use a dish I ate while dining out or something I saw on TV as inspiration, but these are still my versions that I’ve created and tested from scratch.  I’ve had my fare share of failures.  I make a lot of food and the majority of it doesn’t make it onto this site.  Sometimes I envision a dish but it doesn’t always come out or taste as I had thought it would.  The food doesn’t necessarily taste bad, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t publish mediocre food.

When I told my what wife what I had planned for today’s post she said, “It sounds too trendy.  “Can’t you just make something Italian this week?”  She noted that many of the blogs she frequents use someone else’s recipe and modify it.  My response was that I want my posts to be as original as possible (I do sometimes use other’s recipes when it makes sense.  The choux dough for my Salted Pumpkin Cream Puffs is a prime example).  I’m fairly certain she just wasn’t excited to each kimchi.  “I’m not sure I really like kimchi.  What exactly is gochujang?” she said.  Then she proceeded to eat the whole plate of food.  You might call it unconventional, trendy or different but Kimchi Bacon Hash with Egg and Gochujang Hollandaise is delicious.

selling kimchi-jpeg

One of my daughters often says she dislikes a food even before trying it.  This is pretty typical of kids, but also adults too.  Aren’t we often afraid of the unfamiliar?  Kimchi is fermented cabbage.  Think of it as Korean sauerkraut but with a few additional ingredients.  It’s tangy and spicy.  I make my own and you can find many recipes online.  Gochujang, if you’ve never heard of it, is a spicy condiment made from hot peppers and fermented soybeans.  It is the Korean equivalent of sriracha.  You can find both kimchi and gochujang and Asian supermarkets.

Next time you’re looking for a new weekend breakfast or brunch recipe, try my Kimchi Bacon Hash, Egg and Gochujang Hollandaise.

serving kimchi-jpeg

Kimchi Bacon Hash, Egg And Gochujang Hollandaise

 

Author: David Moser

Ingredients

For the hash

  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1½ pounds russet potatoes pealed and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ¾ cups kimchi

For the hollandaise

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 stick of hot melted butter (8 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (korean hot pepper paste)

For the eggs

  • 4 to 8 eggs cooked to your liking (I prefer fried or poached for this preparation)
  • Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For the hash

  1. Add the potatoes to a medium sized pot. Add cold water until the potatoes are covered by an inch of water. Add salt until the water tastes salty like the sea. Heat the pot on high heat and once the water boils cook for another six minutes. Remove from heat and drain the potatoes in a colander.
  2. While the potatoes are draining, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon slices until crisp on both sides, about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove bacon. Once cooled, cut the bacon strips into ½ inch pieces.
  3. In the same frying pan over medium-high heat, add the potatoes to the bacon fat. Cook stirring the potatoes every 4-5 minutes until all sides of the potatoes are browned, about 20 minutes total.
  4. Move the potatoes to one side of the pan and add the kimchi. Cook until warmed through and any residual moisture has evaporated.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat, add the bacon and stir to combine.
  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the hollandaise

  1. You can use a conventional or emersion blender to make the sauce. Combine the egg yolk and lemon juice in the blender and blend on high. Gradually add in the melted butter in a steady stream until the sauce is emulsified. Add the gochujang and pulse until combined.
  2. Divide the hash. Layer the cooked eggs on top hash. Spoon on the hollandaise. Garnish with cilantro.