The Kimchini Egg Bomb
Can you believe my last post was back in November of 2018?! Pardon the delay but time was well spent traveling, enjoying family & friends, catching weddings, and MOVING TO SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN!
Down time offered a lot of time to tinker in the kitchen - which birthed this very recipe. I’m a huge fan of arancini, a Sicilian mozarella stuffed risotto rice ball fried to golden perfection, and the Scotch Egg, a soft boiled egg wrapped in sauasage & breadcrumbs, and fried.
Today’s recipe is a mashup between arancini and the Scotch egg with an extra added umami kick from kimchi fried rice. It also is stuffed with fresh mozzarella and the perfect soft boiled egg. Think bite after bite of crunchy, gooey, cheesy goodness.
Want a bonus? I’m also including my new favorite secret ingredient, Umami Dust. Now, without further adieu, I give you the Kimchini Egg Bomb. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 cup vegetarian Kimchi, minced
4 ½ cups cooked short grain rice, chilled overnight
1 ½ TBSP gochunjang
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp umami dust; recipe below
9 small eggs
1 TBSP milk or water
⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz fresh mozzarella
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
Makes 5 Kimchini Egg Bombs
UMAMI DUST:
2:1:1 ratio by weight of dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms, dried kombu, and bonito flakes
Pulse in an electric spice grinder to create fine powder
Heat a large pan over medium high heat for one minute. Pour in the vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Add in the kimchi and sauté for a few minutes until slightly translucent and dry.
Add in rice & gochujang and mix to fully incorporate. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the Umami Dust, mix to incorporate, and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, turn off the heat, and stir occasionally for the next minute. Remove the rice to a large bowl to cool and reserve until needed.
Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to the boil. Drop in 5 eggs and simmer for exactly 6 minutes. Remove the eggs and place them into an ice bath to cool. Peel the eggs once they are chilled.
Beat 4 eggs with milk or water and pour half of the mixture over the rice. Add in the Parmesan cheese and Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix to fully incorporate and set aside to firm up for 5 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, cut fresh mozzarella cheese into ribbons. Using wet hands, take a fist size amount of the rice mixture and firmly press & form it into an oval.
Create an egg sized dimple in the middle using your fingers. Place an egg in the nest along with strips of mozzarella and top with more rice. Firmly form the rice into an oval shape applying a generous amount of pressure to bring everything together into a tight package.
Freeze the rice balls for 15 minutes to firm up.
Set up a breading station with a plate of flour seasoned with Kosher salt, the remaining egg wash mixture, and a plate of seasoned breadcrumbs.
Coat each ball in the flour, then the egg wash, and finally the bread crumbs using the dry/wet hand method.
Fry each of the Kimchini Bombs in vegetable oil at 350F until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove them to a wire rack lined with paper towels and season with Kosher salt.
