There is much more to Korean cooking than the universal kimchi and bulgogi. Yet they are so good that many of us tend to venture no further on the menu. That means we are missing countless other specialties of this East Asian culinary gold mine, dishes based on rice and noodles, vegetables and tofu, meats and seafood, and a pantry full of herbs, spices, and other seasonings. Whenever I get hungry for the chile-laced, garlicky, colorful food of the Korean peninsula, I turn to Michael J. Pettid’s Korean Cuisine: An Illustrated History, an insightful, comprehensive, and totally engrossing treatise on one of the world’s most deliciously complex tables. And from there, I head to my kitchen.
I enjoy cooking Korean food and I invariably have willing diners to sample what I make. The mom of one of my good friends, Michael Wolf, is from Korea and she is a fantastic cook. It’s fun for me to cook Korean food for Michael because he always lets me know if I am getting it right. When I explore the cuisine of any country, I often find myself going beyond what happens in the kitchen, and my study of Korean food is no exception. I have become a great admirer of Korean ceramics and I hope to get back to the pottery wheel one day soon to try my hand at my own version.
Quick and easy to cook, this first-course porridge also makes a great wintertime breakfast, especially if you are like me and don’t eat cold cereal. Plus, it can be made ahead, which is good news whether you are serving it as part of a multicourse menu or for breakfast.
The first time I made this recipe I used turkey stock, dried shiitake mushrooms, and minced elk and it was delicious. It can also easily be made vegetarian by omitting the meat, using vegetable stock, doubling the amount of mushrooms (use all shiitakes or a mixture of shiitake and beech [hon-shimeji] or another interesting mushroom variety), and then finishing with a little finely diced tofu. Don’t be afraid to experiment and/or use what you have on hand. | SERVES 4 TO 6
5 OR 6 DRIED OR FRESH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
1 CUP SHORT-GRAIN BROWN RICE
2 TABLESPOONS TOASTED SESAME OIL
4 OUNCES GROUND BEEF, PORK, OR LAMB
2 OR 3 CLOVES GARLIC, SLICED
3 TO 4 TABLESPOONS MINCED GREEN ONIONS (WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY) OR CHIVES, FOR GARNISH
SOY SAUCE, FOR GARNISH
CHILE PASTE, FOR GARNISH
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
If using dried shiitake mushrooms, place them in a bowl with hot water to cover and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking water, and remove and discard the stems (see more on
rehydrating dried mushrooms). Slice the caps and reserved until needed. Add the soaking water to the stock. If using fresh shiitake mushrooms, remove and discard the stems, slice the caps, and reserve until needed.
Put the rice in a good-size bowl, add water to cover, swish the rice around with your hand, and drain. Repeat the rinsing and draining until the water runs clear. Return the rice to the bowl, add water to cover, and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve.
In a large pan (I use my 6-quart Le Creuset pot so I have room to maneuver), heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up any clumps, for 8 to 12 minutes, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate to drain. Add the mushrooms to the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 6 minutes, until browned. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the plate holding the meat.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until nutty and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, 6 cups of the stock, and the drained meat and mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes or so, until the rice is tender. Add some or all of the remaining 1 cup stock if the pan becomes too dry before the rice is done.
Spoon into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the green onions. Don’t forget to set the soy sauce, chile paste, and a peppermill on the table for diners to add as desired.
This rather nontraditional treat reminds me of a snack that was served at Betelnut, a restaurant in San Francisco that I was involved with. The Betelnut version had whole dried chiles and peanuts in it, as well. For this dish, you want small anchovies, which can be found at Korean or other Asian markets. Many Korean chile pastes are fermented, which gives them a rich, sweet, hot flavor. They are a wonderful thing to have in your fridge, almost as important as ketchup and mustard. In a pinch, I have substituted Korean chile paste for Turkish chile paste and have been happy with the results. But then, I’m not Turkish!
My husband, John, tested this recipe with peanuts in place of the anchovies. He preferred the peanut version (
pictured here). He also cautions nonprofessional cooks to move quickly on the seasonings, because they can burn easily. John recommends cooking over medium heat rather than high heat to avoid scorching. Don’t turn the heat to low, however. It has to be hot enough for the coating to become sticky. Pull the pan off the heat to mix in the anchovies or peanuts, if you are worried about burning them.
Both the anchovy and the peanut versions are great to munch on while watching a game on TV, but be forewarned. They are very addictive—chewy, crispy, sweet, and hot. What more can you ask for?
| SHOWN HERE | MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS
1 TABLESPOON SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS SOY SAUCE
½-INCH PIECE FRESH GINGER, PEELED AND THINLY SLICED
1 TEASPOON FERMENTED KOREAN CHILE PASTE
2 TEASPOONS CANOLA OIL
1 CUP SMALL (1-INCH) DRIED ANCHOVIES OR UNSALTED ROASTED PEANUTS
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chile paste, mixing well.
In a sauté pan, heat the canola oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chile paste mixture (careful, it splatters), shake the pan, stir well, and cook for 20 to 40 seconds, until the mixture starts to bubble. Add the anchovies, stir to coat thoroughly, and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and add the sesame seeds and mix one more time really well. Let cool completely and serve at room temperature.
KOREAN-STYLE BEEF TARTARE
One of my favorite versions of steak tartare, this flavorful but light combination is a wonderful mix of tastes and textures. I like to put a biteful of the tartare on a slice of pear, with or without freshly ground black pepper. For a passed hors d’oeuvre, you can nestle a pear slice in a small butter-lettuce cup, top the pear with a small spoonful of tartare, and garnish the meat with a sprinkle of pine nuts.
As always, use the best-quality beef from humanely raised and slaughtered animals. And be sure to hand chop the meat with a very sharp knife.
| SHOWN HERE | SERVES 4 TO 6
8 OUNCES BEEF TENDERLOIN, TRIMMED OF SINEW AND FAT
1 TABLESPOON KOREAN RICE WINE OR SAKE
1 GREEN ONION, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, THINLY SLICED ON THE DIAGONAL
1 TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC
1 TEASPOON TO 1 TABLESPOON SUGAR (THE MORE TRADITIONAL MEASURE IS 1 TABLESPOON)
1 TO 2 TEASPOONS FRESH GINGER JUICE (SQUEEZED FROM FINELY GRATED FRESH GINGER)
1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
PINCH OF SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 ASIAN PEAR, PEELED AND THINLY SLICED
2 TABLESPOONS MINCED PINE NUTS
With a very sharp knife, cut the beef into thin slices, julienne the slices, and then mince the julienne strips.
In a bowl, combine the minced beef, rice wine, green onion, garlic, sugar, ginger juice, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly. Cover and chill for 1 hour. At the same time, chill the individual plates for serving the tartare.
To serve, arrange a small mound of the meat in the center of each chilled plate. Arrange pear slices around each mound. Garnish the mounds with the pine nuts. Set the pepper mill on the table and invite guests to garnish with pepper.
MUSHROOM AND BAKED WINTER SQUASH
This mushroom dish is often done with shiitakes, but king oyster, enoki,
maitake, hiratake, beech (
hon-shimeji), or almost any other type would also work well. You can use a single mushroom variety or a mixture of two or more varieties. Here, the mushrooms are poured over roasted cubes of winter squash or sweet potatoes. The pairing is bright, colorful, and flavorful. One of the testers served this dish with
this chicken recipe, using tofu instead of chicken, and the Green
Onion Kimchi) and loved the combination.
| SERVES 4 TO 6
1½ TO 2 TABLESPOONS KOREAN RICE WINE OR SAKE
1 TABLESPOON SOY SAUCE
2 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
2 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, MINCED
2 TABLESPOONS TOASTED SESAME OIL
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
ABOUT 1 POUND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, STEMMED AND SLICED OR QUARTERED IF LARGE OR LEFT WHOLE IF SMALL
3 CUPS PEELED AND CUBED WINTER SQUASH OR SWEET POTATO
TOASTED SESAME OIL OR CANOLA OIL, FOR ROASTING
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
¼ CUP PINE NUTS,
TOASTED, FOR GARNISH
1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS KOREAN DRIED CHILE THREADS OR RED PEPPER FLAKES, FOR GARNISH (THREADS ARE BEST; OPTIONAL)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Put the mushrooms in a bowl, pour the marinade over the top, stir to coat, and set aside while you prepare the squash.
To cook the squash, in a bowl, toss the cubes with just enough oil to coat and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
To cook the mushrooms, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. (You want a pan large enough to accommodate the mushrooms in a single layer. If you don’t have one, cook the mushrooms in batches.) When the pan is hot, add the mushrooms and all of the marinade and stir-fry or sauté the mushrooms, shaking the pan, for about 3 minutes, until cooked. Add a bit more wine if the pan becomes too dry before the mushrooms are finished.
Transfer the squash to a warmed serving dish. Pour the mushrooms over the top and mix well. Garnish with the pine nuts and chile threads and serve hot.
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH MUNG BEAN SALAD
This is a tasty way to cook skinless, boneless chicken breasts. It is a perfect dish for this menu, but it also makes a nice centerpiece for a simpler supper, accompanied with
Mushroom and Baked Winter Squash,
Green Onion Kimchi, and brown rice. The chicken, which is known as
tak kui in Korean, may be cooked on a griddle, but we grilled it over hot coals one winter day and it was much tastier. The marinade is also good for grilling salmon, halibut, or tofu. It may seem like it calls for a lot of garlic, but I have used the traditional amount.
I am not much of a bean sprout eater, but done this way, they are addictive and are the perfect counterpoint to the chicken. The salad would be good with beef, too. When preparing the sprouts, you want to trim the very tip off of both ends, like you do with green beans. The flavor of the salad improves with time, so marinate the sprouts a few hours ahead—one less thing to do at the last minute! | SERVES 4 TO 6
3 TABLESPOONS SOY SAUCE
1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
2 TABLESPOONS PURE MAPLE SYRUP
⅓ CUP KOREAN RICE WINE OR SAKE
3 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND SOME TENDER GREEN PARTS, MINCED
8 TO 10 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
1 TABLESPOON SESAME SEEDS,
TOASTED AND MASHED TO A PASTE IN A MORTAR
4 WALNUT HALVES, MASHED TO A PASTE IN A MORTAR
GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON
1 TABLESPOON KOREAN CHILE POWDER OR CAYENNE PEPPER
PINCH OF SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
4 TO 6 SKINLESS, BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST HALVES, OR 3 SKINLESS, BONELESS WHOLE CHICKEN BREASTS
1 POUND MUNG BEAN SPROUTS, TOPPED AND TAILED
1½ TEASPOONS TO 1 TABLESPOON SOY SAUCE
1 TABLESPOON RICE VINEGAR
1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
1 CLOVE GARLIC, MINCED
2 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, MINCED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
To make the marinade, in a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Reserve until needed.
Place the chicken breasts inside moistened resealable plastic bags or between moistened sheets of plastic wrap. (The resealable-bag method is handy because you can pour the marinade in right over the chicken.) Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, gently pound the meat until it is an even ½ inch thick. You don’t want it paper-thin, but you do want it to be evenly thick so that all of the pieces cook in the same amount of time. Otherwise, you can end up with overcooked parts, which will be dry and tasteless. Leave the chicken in the bags, or transfer it to a shallow dish if you used plastic wrap. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure that all of the surfaces are well coated. Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
To make the sprout salad, bring a large pot filled with water to a rapid boil. Have ready an ice bath. Stir the sprouts into the boiling water, cover, and let
cook for 1 minute. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the sprouts to the ice bath to cool completely and then drain in a colander. (I spin my sprouts in a salad spinner to make sure they are nice and dry.)
In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, green onions, and sesame seeds. Add the drained sprouts and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature or refrigerated until needed.
Prepare a medium charcoal and/or wood fire in a grill or preheat a griddle to medium-high. Because you are working with skinless meat, which can easily dry out, you don’t want the grill fire too hot. Place the chicken on the grill rack directly over the fire or on the griddle and cook, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until just opaque throughout.
To serve, cut the breasts against the grain into thin slices, and fan the meat out across a platter or individual plates. Accompany with the sprout salad, served at room temperature or chilled.
You will need one quart-size or two pint-size sterilized glass jars for this recipe. The cucumbers will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, but they are so good they won’t last that long. | MAKES 1 QUART
2 POUNDS PICKLING CUCUMBERS, OR 3 LARGE CUCUMBERS
¼ CUP SEA SALT
2 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, THINLY SLICED
2 CLOVES GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON KOREAN CHILE POWDER OR 2 TEASPOONS CAYENNE PEPPER
½ CUP HONEY
½ CUP RICE VINEGAR
1 CUP DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR
Trim the ends from the cucumbers. If using pickling cucumbers, cut them into 1-inch chunks. If using large cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch chunks. Place the cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain again.
While the pickles are doing their thing, get the jar(s), sterilized. See instructions on
how to sterilize the jar(s), and then reserve them, top down, on a clean, dry towel until needed.
Ready the remaining ingredients at the same time. In a small bowl, stir together the green onions, garlic, and chile powder and reserve. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the honey, rice vinegar, and distilled vinegar and reserve.
Pack the cucumber into the sterilized jar(s), leaving some space at the top. Put the green onion mixture on top of the cucumbers. Bring the honey-vinegar mixture to a boil and carefully pour it into the jar(s), cover tightly, then shake well and tap down to ensure that everything is distributed evenly throughout the pickles. Let sit at room temperature for 2 days to cure, then refrigerate until needed.
Clockwise, from top left: Braised Beef Short Ribs, Sweet Peanuts Variation, Korean-Style Beef Tartare, Sugar Cookies, Sweet Dried Anchovies, Green Onion and Radish Cube Kimchi
WITH GREEN ONION AND RADISH CUBE KIMCHI
Here is a wonderful dish to make ahead. In fact, it improves with an overnight stint in the refrigerator. The flavors mellow and any fat congeals on top, making it is easy to remove the fat before reheating. This dish has some of my favorite flavors: salty, sweet, beefy. Plus, you don’t often get beef and potatoes in an Asian dish and here you do—comfort food to a girl with my potato background.
Most store-bought beef broth is too salty, tastes too much like vegetables, and often contains gelatin, so I advise against buying it. Instead, make your own beef stock or use
chicken stock or store-bought reduced-sodium chicken broth. To save time, ask your butcher to cut the short ribs into 2-inch cubes of bone and meat. You could use boneless rib meat, but your broth won’t be as rich. Jujubes, also known as Chinese dates or red dates, are sold dried in Asian markets and add a pleasant sweetness to the broth. If you cannot find them, raisins are a good substitute. Be sure to put on a pot of steamed rice for serving with the braised ribs.
| SHOWN HERE | SERVES 4 TO 6
1 ASIAN PEAR, PEELED AND GRATED
¼ CUP SOY SAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS KOREAN RICE WINE OR SAKE
2 TABLESPOONS PURE MAPLE SYRUP
3 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, FINELY CHOPPED
2 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
1 TEASPOON SEA SALT
1 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3 POUNDS BEEF SHORT RIBS, CUT INTO 2-INCH CUBES AND TRIMMED OF EXCESS FAT
4 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
6 DRIED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS,
SOAKED IN HOT WATER TO COVER FOR 10 MINUTES, DRAINED WITH SOAKING WATER RESERVED, STEMMED, SQUEEZED DRY, AND QUARTERED
6 SMALL YUKON GOLD OR OTHER POTATOES, PEELED AND CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES
6-INCH-LONG PIECE KOMBU SEAWEED, LIGHTLY WIPED WITH A DAMP CLOTH
3 TO 6 CUPS
CHICKEN, BEEF, OR VEAL STOCK, DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY YOUR BROTH REDUCES
½ HEAD NAPA CABBAGE, FIRM STEM PART ONLY, CUT INTO 1- BY 1½-INCH PIECES
1 POUND KOREAN WHITE RADISH OR DAIKON RADISH, PEELED AND CUT INTO THIN ¼-INCH BY 1- TO 1½-INCH RECTANGLES
10 WALNUT HALVES
10 TO 12 JUJUBES, HALVED AND PITTED, OR RAISINS
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
KOREAN DRIED CHILE THREADS OR RED PEPPER FLAKES, FOR GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
To make the marinade, in a large glass or ceramic dish, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Add the short ribs and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking, then drain, reserving the marinade. Pat the meat dry.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the short ribs and sear well on all sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches to avoid crowding, transferring each batch to a plate as it is ready.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until just starting to brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate to drain. Add the browned meat, the reserved marinade, the reserved mushroom soaking water, the seaweed, and enough stock to cover. Stir to mix, cover, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface, until the meat is very tender and the broth is beginning to reduce. This will take 1½ to 2 hours.
Return the reserved mushrooms and potatoes to the pan, add the cabbage, and cook for about 6 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add more stock, a little at a time, if the pan begins to dry. (You want the finished dish to be nice and stewy, though not soupy.)
Remove and discard the seaweed, add the radish, walnuts, and jujubes, and cook until they are hot and the broth is reduced to a luscious consistency. (If you don’t want to wait for the broth to reduce over the heat, you can dissolve 1½ teaspoons arrowroot in 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the pot to thicken the broth.) Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and garnish with the chile threads. Serve hot, accompanied with the kimchi.
I love this kimchi, which is a spring recipe that comes together quickly and brightens up rich dishes in a flash. I have sprinkled minced leftover kimchi over scrambled eggs with rice for a quick Asian breakfast or lunch. | SERVES 4 TO 6
SCANT ¼ CUP SOY SAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS FISH SAUCE
3 CLOVES GARLIC, THINLY SLICED
2 TEASPOONS PEELED AND THINLY SLICED FRESH GINGER
1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
1 TEASPOON MALDON SEA SALT
1 ROUNDED TABLESPOON KOREAN CHILE POWDER OR CAYENNE PEPPER
7 TO 8 OUNCES GREEN ONIONS, TRIMMED OF ROOT ENDS, CUT INTO 4-INCH LENGTHS, AND THINLY SLICED LENGTHWISE, OR YOUNG GREEN ONIONS, TRIMMED OF ROOT ENDS AND LEFT WHOLE
In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, salt, and chile powder, mixing well. Add the green onions and stir to coat evenly. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl and press it directly onto the surface of the green onion mixture. Top the plastic wrap with a heavy plate or bowl that fits just inside the rim of the bowl and applies even pressure to the kimchi. Leave at room temperature for 12 hours, then refrigerate. Serve chilled.
This is often called wedding kimchi. I love daikon radish! Due to my shrimp, crab, and lobster allergy, I changed the original formula that had shrimp paste to use dried anchovies to provide the salt and seafood background vocals that the dish needs. | SERVES 4 TO 6
1½ POUNDS DAIKON OR KOREAN WHITE RADISH, PEELED AND CUT INTO ½-INCH CUBES
1 TABLESPOON SEA SALT
½ BUNCH WATERCRESS, TOUGH STEMS REMOVED AND CUT INTO 1-INCH LENGTHS
2 TABLESPOONS SMALL (1-INCH) DRIED ANCHOVIES, OR 1 TABLESPOON MINCED OLIVE OIL–PACKED ANCHOVIES
3 OR 4 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, THINLY SLICED
4 OR 5 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
2 TABLESPOONS PEELED AND GRATED FRESH GINGER
1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS KOREAN CHILE POWDER, OR 1 TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER
Put the radish in a bowl, sprinkle on the salt, and pour in cold water just to cover. Let soak for 30 minutes and then drain.
In a bowl, stir together the watercress, anchovies, green onions, garlic, ginger, sugar (use the smaller amount if you prefer less sweet), and chile powder. Add the radish and stir to coat evenly. Cover and let cure at room temperature for 48 hours. Refrigerate until needed and serve at cool room temperature or chilled. Do not allow it to sit out in the sun or heat.
WITH BLACK AND WHITE SESAME SEEDS
You can turn these sweet treats into traditional sugar cookies by rolling them in crystal or colored sugar before baking, in place of the sesame seeds. If you don’t want to bake the entire batch of dough, or you decide to make a double batch, wrap the remaining dough and freeze for up to 2 weeks (the baking soda and cream of tartar will lose their effectiveness if the dough sits in the refrigerator). Or, you can bake all of the dough and freeze some of the cookies for those times when you just need a cookie.
| SHOWN HERE | MAKES ABOUT 36 COOKIES
2½ CUPS SIFTED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
½ TEASPOON CREAM OF TARTAR
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2½ CUPS SUGAR
3 EGG YOLKS
2¼ TEASPOONS PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
2 TABLESPOONS BLACK SESAME SEEDS
2 TABLESPOONS WHITE SESAME SEEDS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until smooth. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until a smooth dough forms.
In a flat, shallow dish, mix together the black and white sesame seeds. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the dough, roll between your palms into a ball, and roll in the sesame seeds, coating evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet and gently press with the bottom of a glass to flatten. Repeat until all of the dough is shaped, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies, rotating the pan back to front midway through baking, for 12 to 15 minutes, until crackly all over and very light brown around the edges. Let cool for 1 minute on the pan on a rack and then transfer to the rack and let cool completely. The cooled cookies will keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week, but they disappear so quickly I’m not sure.
