benu - home | phaidon

Benu

The debut book from the celebrated, James Beard Award-winning Corey Lee, chef/patron of San Francisco’s three Michelin starred

Benu and pioneer of modern Asian food.

Uniquely presented as a 33-course tasting menu in which you experience the drama and poetry of Lee’s cooking through recipes and beautifully written essays detailing his inspirations and motivations.

Beautiful photography throughout the book evoke Lee’s culinary and cultural influences and insightful forewords by Lee’s mentor, Thomas Keller and contemporary, David Chang, give you a deeper insight into the creativity of this chef.

Save 20% today with coupon code: BE20FB

http://www.phaidon.com/store/food-cook/benu-9780714868868/?utm_source=pdf&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Benu




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forewordby thomas keller 14-forewordby david chang 16-prelude 20-to begin 22-

a taste of benu 24-kimchi 42-food and form 70-ceramics 84-dumplingsand buns 114-pine mushrooms 137-benu pantry 202-glossary 218-haenyo 220-process by andrealenardin madden,alm project 235-a pairing at benu byyoon ha, sommelier237-discovery bybrandon rodgers,chef de cuisine 238-

index 240-acknowledgements249-

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14

forewordbythomaskeller

Corey Lee first contactedme in2001 after heheardwewere openinga restaurant in New York. He was 23 and was looking for a job, butnot in Manhattan. Our project there, Per Se, was still a good threeyears out, and Corey was hoping to land a post in Yountville. Hewanted towork at The French Laundry to learn about our repertoire,our philosophy, our culture—all so that he could later become asignificant contributor at Per Se. --------------------------- Even ina profession known for drawing young, ambitious talents, Corey’sdrive and initiative stood out—that he would be willing to spend afewyears inYountville just for the chance toopenanother restauranton the opposite coast. He wasn’t out to be the executive chef at TheFrench Laundry; he simplywanted to learn on the front lines so thathe’d be in a better position to excel on a different stage. --------------------------- And excel he did. As he began what would become aneight-year relationship with our restaurant group, the latter half ofit as chef de cuisine of The French Laundry, Corey showedmaturityand thoughtfulness that belied his age. These traits were emblem-atic of his character, that sense of clear direction and dedication, acommitment to those around him as well as to his craft. More thananything, Corey’s thoughtfulness reflected his desire to excel atwhat hewas doing. Hewas that rare, precocious talentwho took thelong view andwasmore thanwilling to pay his dues. --------------------------- You’ll find the same level of commitment and focus in thisbook,which takes its name fromCorey’s restaurant Benu. InCorey’sview, and I share his perspective, all great work in the kitchen—andbeyond—depends on a foundational base. Only once that founda-tion is established can you be successful inmore ways than you everthought possible, just as Corey has been. ---------------------------Benu is not a typical chef’s cookbook. As much a nuanced memoiras it is a culinary guide, it is rich with stories of Corey’s early life.Born in Seoul, Korea, in 1977, the son of an engineer, Corey movedto the United States in 1982 when his father’s work relocated himto New York City. At a young age, Corey recognized that the foodhis mother cooked served as a vital link to his native culture. Thatawareness stayedwithhim, and it informshis cooking to this day.Atthe same time, Corey isn’t content to simply tread over old ground.He is always searching, pushinghimself forwardevenasheembracesthe past. Benu, both the restaurant and cookbook, are contemporaryprojects that reflect Corey’s respect for all that came before. --------------------------- In the pages that follow,Corey shares foodmemoriesthat linger, madeleine-like, to this day. He describes the dumplingskins and ground pork that, as a child, he’d looked for excitedlyin the fridge as indications that his mother was making mandoomandoo(Korean dumplings). He explores the making of another dumpling,xiao long baoxiao long bao, and, in a patient, detailed manner typical of Corey, hewalks you through the challenge of getting the skin just right: howit should be delicate and ethereal, “spurring wonder” at how allthat hot liquid can be contained in a simple dough. As for Corey’spursuit of the perfect , it’s a culinary journey that has no real end.--------------------------- “I guess that’swhat chefs do,” Coreywrites.“We live pursuing standards that exist only in our heads and devoteour lives to fine points that few people notice.” Corey embarkedon that pursuit at a young age, and his dedication to it has neverwavered. --------------------------- I’ve noticed, Corey. Sowill readersof this book.


w

a tasteofbenu


thousand-year-oldquail egg, potage,ginger 26-sprouted grain bread,ginseng honey,butter 30-potato salad withanchovy 34-oyster, pork belly,kimchi 38-icefish on ice 58-salt and peppersquid 62-eel, feuille de brick,crème fraîche 66-tofu, burdock, charredscallion vinaigrette 72-xo sausage with basilcurd 76-beggar’s purseof treasures fromthe oak 80-monkfish liver,seaweed, onion juice,citrus 90-live jellyfish, beefbouillon, thymeblossoms 94

chilled noodles,hearts of palm,shrimp roe 98-shellfish consomméand raft witharomatic roots andherbs 102-pig’s head with lentilhozön and bönji 106-lobster coral xiaolong bao 110-wild bamboo fungiand shoots 116-jasmine chickenand dates 122-spring porridgewith sea urchin 126-scallop blossom withchrysanthemum 130-pine mushroomsbaked in rice branwith green apple 134-sablefish, mountainyam blanquette,aged tangerine 140-okhotsk sea cucumberstuffed with shrimp,fermented pepper,cucumber 144

quail, lam kokolive, black walnut,dandelion 148-24-head kippinabalone from Iwate,2008, potato purée,braising jus 156-beef rib braisedin pear, gingko nut,smoked onion 174-“shark fin soup,”dungeness crab,jinhua hamcustard 178-malted rice teainfused with pineneedle honey 182-sake lees, strawberry,nasturtium 186-fresh and driedyuba, almond, whitechocolate 190-sesame white cakewith salted plumsauce 194-chocolate withcandied seeds 198


30

It’s been at least thirty years since my two sisters and I stood infront of our mother’s stove and were forced to drink a tonic brewedfrom deer antlers, but I can still taste it like it was yesterday. Dark,viscous, intensely bitter, and tasting like a reduction of burnt animalbones—I hated it, and dreaded seeing the translucent bag from theChinese apothecary sitting on the kitchen counter. My mother sub-scribes to hanyakhanyak, traditional Chinese medicine through food, andvelvet antler has many supposed benefits, including improved bonestrength, blood circulation, and, in children, growth. She wouldsimmer the thin slices of dried velvet antler for hours in a small glasskettle, permeating the house with the distinctive aroma that filledme with anxiety and forebode the torture to come. --------------------------- Thinking about food for its medicinal purposes as much asfor its gustatory ones is distinctly Eastern. For example, all Koreansbelieve that new mothers must eat seaweed soup to help producenutritional breast milk; in late autumn gingko nuts are eaten allover eastern Asia to help promote respiratory health; for centuriesthe Chinese have been eating birds’ nests, harvested from caves inSoutheast Asia and laboriously cleaned, for their anti-aging prop-erties. These kinds of ingredients and eating traditions are deeplyembedded in Asian culture. --------------------------- My motherhas long given up on getting me to drink the deer antler tonic, butshe still insists that I regularly have ginseng, the most potent andprized of the yangyang herbs. It has a large range of benefits, the mostwell known being improved virility, energy, and immunity. It’swidely accepted that the best ginseng comes from Korea, and I havebeen eating it from childhood in various forms: fresh, dried, or inextracted or powder form, incorporated into tea, soup, and, later asan adult, steeped in traditional Korean spirits. When taken in con-centrations formedicinal purposes, I find the flavor overwhelminglybitter and earthy. But when used sparingly in culinary preparations,balancedwith savoriness and a hint of sweetness, themore nuancedflavors—melon, Christmas spice, and young ginger—can be appre-ciated. --------------------------- The most famous Korean dish withginseng is samgyetangsamgyetang, a soup eaten in summer. Made with a wholeyoung chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, it’s delicious, and evenbetter when made with abalone. But still, my favorite way to enjoythe flavor of ginseng is how we serve it at Benu—infused for weeksinto orange-blossomhoney, drizzled on goodbutter, and spread on awarm slice of Brandon’s sprouted grain bread.

sproutedgrainbread,ginsenghoney,butter

sprouted grain bread, ginseng honey, butter


32 sprouted grain bread, ginseng honey, butter

SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD,GINSENG HONEY, BUTTER

sprouted grain flour,for the starter

15g sprouted rye berries15g sprouted barley15g sprouted redwheat berries67gwater5g rice bran oil6g salt132gwater1.4g xanthan gum1g sugar0.5g instant yeast56g bread flour, plus extra for dusting170g sprouted grain flour

FOR THE GINSENG HONEY120g ginseng root, washed and sliced300g orange blossomhoney

TO FINISHunsalted butterSinan sea salt

Firstmake the ginseng honey. Placethe ginseng in the honey,makingsure it’s fully submerged. Cover andage for 14 days at room temperature.Heat themixture just enough so it ispourable. Skimwell and strain. Cool.

Tomake the starter, combine equalparts of sprouted grain flour andwater in a covered container. Keepat room temperature, approximately75ºF/24ºC, for at least 1week. Feedthe starter every 24 hours at a ratioof 2 parts base starter to 1 part waterand 1 part sprouted grain flour.

Pulse the rye berries, barley, redwheat berries, and 67gwater ina blender. Cook in an electric ricecooker. Allow to cool to roomtemperature, thenmix in the saltand oil. Set aside.

Blend the 132gwater with thexanthan gumon a low setting. Addthe sugar to the thickenedwater.

Place 130g of the starter in amixerand add the xanthanmixture.Sprinkle the yeast on thewaterand leave to bloom.

Combine the two flours andmixwell.Once the yeast has bloomed, add theflours andmixwith a dough hook onlow setting for 5minutes. Cover withamoist towel and allow to rest for20minutes.

Combine the cooked berries anddough in themixer onmedium speedfor 2minutes. Remove and forminto round shape. Cover with a damptowel and rest for 15minutes.

Select a bakingmold and gentlystretch the dough to the same shape.(It doesn’t go inside themold yet.)Cover againwith a damp towel andrest for 15minutes.

Spray the bakingmoldwith nonstickspray. Usingminimal flour on thework surface, shape the dough tofit into themold—it should fill justa quarter of the height. Cover withplastic wrap (clingfilm) and leave inawarm place for 1 hour. The doughwill double in size and now be abouthalf the height of themold.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF/230ºC.Remove the plastic wrap (clingfilm)and place awire rack over themold.Lay a damp towel over the rackand bake for 15minutes. Lowerthe temperature to 375ºF/190ºCand bake for a further 15minutes.Remove the towel and bake foranother 10minutes. Rotate themold180 degrees and bake for another10–15minutes, depending on youroven andmold dimensions. Coolto room temperature in themold.

When you’re ready to serve, preheatthe oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Bake theloaf for 4minutes and then cut intoslices. Servewith butter that’s beendrizzledwith ginseng honey andsprinkledwith sea salt.


62 salt and pepper squid

saltandpeppersquid

I’ve been eating puffed shrimp (prawn) crackers—crispy, with acaramelized shellfish flavor, and overdosed with MSG—all my life.They’re a dangerously addictive guilty pleasure.Whenwewere kidsand my family would go to the Asian market together, we wouldalways finish off an entire bag on the car ride back home. --------------------------- Later, I found the same kind of satisfaction in the Chi-nese salt and pepper preparations. There aremanyways of preparingthese dishes, but they are generally all dredged or battered, frieduntil slightly crispy, and tossed with some kind of pepper. Somechefs season with fresh chili and white pepper, others with Sze-chuan pepper, while some add garlic and cilantro (coriander).Whendone poorly, the finished dish can be a greasy, overcooked, and over-seasonedmess. Butwhen executed properly by a good chef, it’s deli-cate, light, with an ethereally crispy shell, and the inherent flavors ofthe ingredients are fully expressed. Fish, shrimp, and crab can all begoodprepared thisway, but I think squid is the tastiest. --------------------------- In 2001, I spent a fewmonths helping a friendopen a res-taurant in the East Village of New York City. Its concept still eludesme. The menu was divided into two sections without the faintestattempt at tying them together: small Western dishes on the onehand (which Iprepared), and traditionaldimsumontheother. Itwasa restaurantdoomed to fail before it opened. ---------------------------Mytimetherewouldhavebeencompletelyuselesshad itnotbeen forMr.Yang, anexperiencedTaiwanesechefwhocame ineverymorningto make the dim sum. He worked by himself, making thousands ofvarious dumplings each day from scratch. He was not only a modelof efficiency,but agreat teacher.That’swhen Ifirst learnedabouthot-andcold-waterdoughs, theversatilityof frying, the roleumamiplaysin seasoning, and many other fundamental Chinese techniques. Hetaught me how to butcher live eel and cook with turtle. He instilledinme the importance of frugality, a departure from the French chefsI had beenworking for until then, who believed it was their preroga-tive tobuy themost expensiveproducts anduseonly theprimeparts.My short time at that restaurant also left mewith a deep love for saltand pepper squid—Mr. Yang’s still remains the standard I measureothers against. --------------------------- Many years after that, I sawGrant Achatz prepare a puffed mushroom chip at the James BeardAwards. It was the first time I saw that snack frommy childhood inthis context, and it planted the seed for the version at Benu. Now,I see puffed chips everywhere, even at casual neighborhood joints allover San Francisco. They’ve become so clichéd that I’ve considerednot serving them anymore. But this is not a dish about modifyingtexture by puréeing something with tapioca starch and getting it topuff. It’s about trying to serve the best salt and pepper squid. ---------------------------We purée squid ink with fresh squid for the chip.Because it’s puffed, it’s airy andgreaseless, but crunchywith a lightlycaramelized squid flavor. We then place pieces of gently poachedsquid on top.Weuse big-fin squid so it’s fleshy and soft. There’s alsoa garnish of garlic purée, pickled chili, and cilantro (coriander). Eachbite is light, crisp, and has a creamy mouthfeel with a pure flavor ofsquid—I thinkMr. Yangwould approve.


64

SALT AND PEPPER SQUID

360g squid14g salt360g tapioca starch40g squid ink powdercilantro (coriander) leaves, to serve

FOR THE POACHED SQUID1 big-fin squidsalt20g rice bran oil

FOR THE GARLIC PURÉE250gmilk0.2g sodiumhexametaphosphate5g low-acyl gellan gum0.5g calcium gluconate140g garlic, germ removed, chopped,and blanched

4g salt4g sugar30g cream

FOR THE CRISPY GARLIC10 garlic cloves germ removed,chopped, blanched, and rinsed

rice bran oil

FOR THE PICKLED CHILIserrano chili, thinly slicedpickling liquid of 2 parts champagnevinegar to 1 part water and1 part sugar

Put the first amount of squid and saltin a blender and purée until smooth.Pass through a large tamis. Transferto a Robot Coupe and blendwith thetapioca starch and squid ink powder.Vacuumpack in several bags withjust enough in each bag so that it canbe evenly and thinly spreadwith arolling pin. Simmer the bags inwaterfor 45minutes. Shock in icedwater.Portion the chips into rectangles.Dehydrate at 140ºF/60ºC until justdry, approximately 35minutes. Fryat 375ºF/190ºC until puffed. Thiswill makemore than 6 portions, butthe puréewill not be smooth if youtry to blend less.

Before poaching the second amountof squid, cover it completely withsalt. Allow to cure for 6minutes.Rinsewell and pat dry. Vacuumpackwith the oil and cook at 185ºF/85ºCfor 9minutes. Shock in icedwater.Cut into small dice.

Tomake the garlic purée, combine themilk, sodiumhexametaphosphate,and gellan gum. Bring to a boil slowlywhile whisking.Whisk in the calcium.Chill in a flat pan in the refrigeratoruntil set, approximately 6 hours.

Purée the garlic, salt, sugar, andcreamwith the setmilk gel. This willmakemore than 6 portions, but thepuréewill not be smooth if you tryto blend less.

Tomake the crispy garlic, add thegarlic to room-temperature oil in apan. Increase the heat slowly, stirringconstantly.When lightly browned,strain and drainwell.

Tomake the pickled chili, rinsethe chili in hot water for 30 seconds.Make enough pickling liquid togenerously cover the chili. Bring toa boil and pour over the chili. Keepin the liquid for aminimumof 1 day.

To serve, garnish the puffed squidwith dollops of the purée, pickledchili, cilantro (coriander) leaves,and diced squid. Sprinkle the crispygarlic on top.

salt and pepper squid


114 dumplings and buns

It is impossible to categorize all the varieties of Chinese buns anddumplings in an orderly way. There are simply too many variations,regional specialties, and even naming differences amongst differentdialects to classify them neatly. For me, the best way to even beginto navigate this labyrinthine food group is to start with the type ofdough that is used—mainly leavened and unleavened. --------------------------- Leavened doughs are used to make many different kindsof buns. Generally, they’re made with doughs using either yeast orbaking powder as the raising agent. Some doughs are made from apre-ferment,mian zhongmian zhong (like a sourdough starter), which helps thebun to rise and adds a pleasant sour note. The variations that can beformulatedforbunsareendless, andchefsoftenmixdifferentdoughsfor specific applications.They are used to make various filled buns,cha sui baocha sui bao (barbecue pork buns) being the best-known application,but buns filled with red bean paste or chicken and water chestnutsare delicious as well.They also can be cut into fine strips that arewrapped around sausages, snipped with scissors for an intricatelyshaped bun, or rolled very thinly for delicate preparations such assheng jian baosheng jian bao, juicypork-filledbuns that are sautéed and caramelizedfor a crispy texture. --------------------------- Unleavened doughsare also made with wheat flour or starch but without any raisingagents for different applications. Starch-based doughs are firm andpleasantly chewy, providing more resilience than flour-based ones.Har gowHar gow, a type of shrimp (prawn) dumpling that originates fromGhuangzhou, is made using a dough that combines tapioca andwheat starch to yield a transparent, paper-thin wrapper. --------------------------- Varieties of unleavened, flour-based doughs can bedivided according to their level of hydration and by the temperatureof the water used tomake them. Hot-water doughs with a high levelof hydration have the greatest elasticity, and are often used to wrapsteamed preparations such as siu maisiu mai. Cold water is used to makedoughs for dumplings, such as wuntunswuntuns and guotieguotie (pot stickers).They are firmer andwithstand boiling and frying. Depending on thepreparation, a combination of hot-water and cold-water doughs canbe used to make a dough that has the characteristics of both. --------------------------- All of this is a lot of food for thought. But I believethat informed diners are better able to appreciate and enjoy the foodput before them. Likewise, informed chefs are better equipped toimprove their craft and achievemeaningful creativity.

dumplingsand buns


198 chocolate with candied seeds

chocolatewithcandiedseeds

For years, we served traditional molded chocolates, filled and deco-rated individually by hand. They were skillfully made, andmany ofour guests raved about them. Nonetheless, they always felt incon-gruous with the rest of our menu, appearing somewhat commonand possibly interpreted as a platitudinal gesture that comes at theendof somany tastingmenus. And for something Iwasn’t fully ableto embrace, theywere a painstakingly time-consuming preparationthat requiredabig investment fromus. ---------------------------Thisrecipe is a very different kind of chocolate service. The flavor of it isbased on gang junggang jung, a Korean candy made of nuts and seeds boundtogether with syrup. We make a nougatine of various seeds andfold it into tempered chocolate.We then set it into largeblocks thatget chiseled into irregular shapes. The rough shards of chocolatearemuchmore intriguing tome than their perfectly formed, satin-finish predecessors, and reflect an evolved aesthetic that I findquite beautiful.


200

CHOCOLATE WITH CANDIED SEEDS

180g granulated sugar20g amaranth seeds20g sesame seeds20g flax seeds20g poppy seeds20g chia seeds

FOR THE TEMPERED CHOCOLATE850g dark chocolate(70% cocoa solids)

Put the sugar in a pan and heat whilestirring to 350ºF/180ºC. Stir in theseeds, then pour themixture ontoa siliconemat to cool.When thenougatine has set, chop it into pieces.To temper the chocolate, bring 565gof it to 132ºF/56ºC. Take off the heatand fold in the remaining chocolateuntil smooth. Continue stirringgently until the chocolate reachesa temperature of 82ºF/28ºC. Reheatthe chocolate to 88ºF/31ºC. Stir inthe chopped nougatine, then pourinto a nonstick container to cool.

Chisel the chocolate to producecracked pieces.

chocolate with candied seeds


Benu

The debut book from the celebrated, James Beard Award-winning Corey Lee, chef/patron of San Francisco’s three Michelin starred

Benu and pioneer of modern Asian food.

Uniquely presented as a 33-course tasting menu in which you experience the drama and poetry of Lee’s cooking through recipes and beautifully written essays detailing his inspirations and motivations.

Beautiful photography throughout the book evoke Lee’s culinary and cultural influences and insightful forewords by Lee’s mentor, Thomas Keller and contemporary, David Chang, give you a deeper insight into the creativity of this chef.

Save 20% today with coupon code: BE20FB





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