Binging With Babish

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Feast inspired by Chef

Emilija Saxe

This week, we're finally tackling the all-out feast prepared by Chef Carl Casper after rage-quitting his creatively-stifling job from the foodie film essential, Chef. Bit too long for a YouTube title. Special thanks to Roy Choi for helping me figure out all these dishes!!

Ingredients

Sous Vide Pork Belly Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ Cup water, divided

  • 1 dried ancho chile, stem and seeds removed 

  • ⅓ Cup ice cubes

  • Juice of 1 orange 

  • Juice of 2 limes 

  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed 

  • 3 dried bay leaves

  • 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks

  • 1 Tbsp Mexican oregano

  • 1 Tbsp black peppercorns

  • 1 Tbsp (packed)  brown sugar 

  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 Tbsp mirin 

  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt

  • ½ pork belly (about 4-5 lbs), skin removed

  • Garlic Chili Sauce (see recipe below)

  • Carrot Puree (see recipe below)

  • Salsa Verde (see recipe below)

  • Pickled Radish (see recipe below)

  • To garnish: scallions, thinly sliced

Garlic Chili Sauce Ingredients:

  • ⅓ Cup gochujang

  • ¼ Cup soy sauce

  • ¼ Cup honey 

  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

  • To taste kosher salt 

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

Carrot Puree Ingredients: 

  • 1 small head garlic

  • 1 tsp neutral oil

  • 1 ½ Cups water

  • 1 lb heirloom carrots, peeled + sliced

  • 1 tsp kosher salt + more to taste

  • ¼ tsp ground cumin

  • 1 Tbsp (packed) brown sugar

  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

Salsa Verde Ingredients:

  • 6 tomatillos, peeled + halved

  • 1 small white onion, quartered 

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 serrano peppers, stem removed + halved

  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • ⅓ Cup cilantro leaves

  • To taste kosher salt

Pickled Radish Ingredients:

  • 6-8 radishes, thinly sliced

  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

  • Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 

  • ½ Cup water

  • ¼ Cup granulated sugar 

  • ¼ Cup white vinegar

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Korean Octopus Stir Fry Ingredients:

  • 1 lb baby octopus, cleaned

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 

  • 2 tsp ginger, minced

  • 2 Tbsp gochujang 

  • 1 Tbsp gochugaru 

  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil + more to finish 

  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil

  • ½ white onion, sliced

  • ½ green cabbage, sliced

  • 1 green chili (spicy or mild), sliced

  • 5 green onions, chopped + more to garnish

  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds

Dry Aged Ribeye Steak Ingredients:

  • As needed kosher salt 

  • As needed freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil

  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed

  • 4-5 thyme sprigs

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 lemon, halved

  • Cilantro, whole leaves

  • Salmon roe

  • Creme fraiche

Sumac Charred Cauliflower Ingredients:

  • ½ head cauliflower 

  • As need neutral oil

  • To taste kosher salt 

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ tsp sumac

Butter Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes, washed

  • 1 Tbsp white vinegar

  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

  • To taste kosher salt 

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Lime Corn Ingredients:

  • 2 ears corn, shucked

  • As needed neutral oi

  • To taste kosher salt 

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

  • Juice of 1 lime

Lemon Squash Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 green zucchini

  • 3-4 fresh lemon verbena leaves

  • To taste kosher salt 

  • To taste freshly ground black pepper

  • Fresh lemon verbena

Macerated Berries Ingredients:

  • 1 pint blueberries, washed

  • 1 pint blackberries, washed

  • 1 pint raspberries, washed

  • ¼ Cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ Cup fresh mint, thinly sliced

  • Whipped Cream (see recipe below)

  • Caramel Dust (see recipe below)

Whipped Cream Ingredients:

  • ½ Cup good quality heavy cream, cold

  • 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla paste (or ½ tsp vanilla extract)

Caramel Dust Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup white granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp corn syrup

Method

Serves: 2-4

Sous Vide Pork Belly Method:

  1. Tear the ancho chile into 1-inch pieces.

  2. In a medium skillet, toast the chile over medium-high heat, about 

  3. Add 1 cup of water to the toasted ancho chile. Bring the water to a simmer, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the mixture to steep for 15 minutes. 

  4. Pour the steeped liquid and the chile into a blender. Add the ice cubes and remaining half cup of water and blend until smooth. 

  5. Pour the blended liquid into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, save for the pork belly. Whisk to thoroughly combine the brine.

  6. Pour the brine into a zip-top bag. Add the pork belly and seal the bag. Massage the bag to ensure all parts of the pork belly are covered by the brine. *If the pork belly is too large to fit in the bag, slice it in half. 

  7. Refrigerate the pork belly overnight or up to 24 hours.

  8. Prepare the sous vide and set the temperature to 165 °F. 

  9. While the water is coming up to temperature, remove the pork belly from the marinade and rinse it off. Pat the pork belly dry and vacuum pack. 

  10. Gently place the vac-packed pork into the water and cook for 10 hours.

  11. Transfer the pork belly from the vacuum bag and onto a grill rack placed in a sheet tray. 

  12. Brush a generous coating of the garlic chili sauce onto the top of the pork belly. Broil until the pork belly is crispy, about 4-6 minutes. 

  13. Serve with the carrot puree, salsa verde, pickled radish, and sliced scallions.

Garlic Chili Sauce Method:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. 

  2. Whisk until well combined. Reserve until ready to use.

Carrot Puree Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

  2. In a small bowl, coat the garlic in the oil. Transfer the garlic to a piece of aluminum foil, wrap the foil around the garlic.

  3. Roast the garlic in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until completely tender. 

  4. Meanwhile, combine the water, carrots, and salt in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the carrots for 20-25 minutes or until completely tender.

  5. Transfer the cooked carrots to a blender. Add the garlic, cumin, brown sugar, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the carrot cooking liquid. While blending, stream in the olive oil. Continue blending until the mixture is completely smooth, add more water if necessary.

  6. Season the puree to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Salsa Verde Method:

  1. Add the tomatillos, onion, peppers, and garlic to a sheet tray. Coat them in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. 

  2. Broil the vegetables for 3-5 minutes or until charred. 

  3. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly.

  4. Transfer the charred vegetables, lime juice, and cilantro to a high-powered blender. Blend the sauce is completely smooth

  5. Season the sauce to taste with salt and reserve until ready to use.

Pickled Radish Method:

  1. Place the radishes and garlic in a medium bowl.

  2. Combine the water, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

  3. Pour the vinegar solution over the radishes. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Korean Octopus Stir Fry Method:

  1. If necessary, remove the intestines, beak, and eyes from the octopus.

  2. Blanch the octopus in boiling water until opaque and the tentacles have curled, about 1 minute. 

  3. In a small bowl, combine the gochujang, gochugaru, black pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.  

  4. Heat the neutral oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. 

  5. Add the onion and cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

  6. Add the chili and green onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

  7. Add the octopus and reserved sauce. Stir to combine everything. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

  8. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion and serve.

Dry Aged Ribeye Steak Method:

  1. Thirty minutes before cooking, place the steak on a sheet tray. Season it generously with salt and pepper.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

  3. Preheat a large cast iron skillet with the oil over high heat.

  4. Sear the steak on one side, about 3-4 minutes. 

  5. Flip the steak, then add the butter, thyme, and garlic. Baste the steak with the melted butter for about 3-4 minutes or until the other side of the steak has a nice crust. 

  6. Transfer the steak to a grill rack placed in a rimmed bakign sheet. Place the steak in the prehated oven to finish cooking, about 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature of the steak should reach 135 °F.

  7. Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

  8. Serve the steak with lemon, cilantro, roe, and creme fraiche.

Sumac Charred Cauliflower Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

  2. Cut the head of the cauliflower into florets.

  3. Toss the cauliflower in oil, salt, pepper, and sumac. 

  4. Transfer the cauliflower to a sheet tray and bake until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. 

  5. Serve immediately.

Butter Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Place a quarter sheet tray inside the oven to preheat as well.

  2. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise.

  3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season the water with the vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt. 

  4. Par-boil the potatoes, about 10 minutes, then drain the potatoes.

  5. Coat the potatoes in the butter.

  6. Transfer the potatoes to the preheated sheet tray, make sure to place the potatoes cut-side down.

  7. Bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and the bottoms are well browned.

Grilled Lime Corn Method:

  1. Coat the corn in oil. 

  2. Char corn on the grill, about 4-5 minutes.

  3. Allow the corn to cool slightly, then cut the kernels off the cob.

  4. Season the kernels with salt, pepper, and lime juice.

  5. Reserved until ready to serve.

Lemon Squash Salad Method:

  1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise using a mandolin. 

  2. Coat the zucchini in oil, then grill until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

  3. Serve the grilled squash with a few sprigs of fresh lemon verbena.

Macerated Berries Ingredients: 

  1. Combine the berries, sugar, and mint in a large bowl. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

  2. Transfer the berry mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with whipped cream and caramel dust.

Whipped Cream Method:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. 

  2. Whisk the mixture by hand until thickened to your liking. 

  3. Reserve in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour before serving.

 Caramel Dust Method:

  1. Prepare a sheet tray with a silicone baking mat.

  2. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet.

  3. Over medium heat, begin melting the sugar. Once the outside begins to liquefy, begin swirling the sugar to evenly distribute the heat.

  4. Once all of the sugar has melted, continue cooking until it reaches a light amber color.

  5. Pour the caramel over the prepared baking sheet. Allow the caramel to cool completely.

  6. Bake the caramel into shards, then transfer them to a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel to cover the caramel shards. Using a meat mallet, smash the caramel.

  7. Transfer the caramel to a sieve over a bowl. Sift the caramel.

  8. Reserved the caramel dust and use it immediately.