Submitted by Alex Kim

About the cook: Southern California raised Korean-American, currently residing in Boston, MA. Passionate about good food and the ever-changing field of culinary arts. My big dream is to source locally from my own farm to a restaurant that serves amazing Korean food.

About the dish: A cheesy take on a classic Korean street food. If Spicy Rice Cakes and Alfredo had a baby, this would be it!

National Origin: Korean

Serves: 2

Estimated Time: 30 to 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz Rice Cakes
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter, Unsalted
1.25 Cups Whole Milk, Heated
.25 Cups Parmesan, Grated
2 Leaves of Sage
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
To Taste Salt
To Taste Pepper

Preparation:

Sauce
1. Heat Butter until melted and fry Sage leaves until crispy. Remove Sage for garnish later. (1-2 minutes)
2. Add Flour to heated Butter and create Roux. Stir Roux until Flour and Butter are incorporated. Do not brown! (1 minute)
3. Add Whole Milk to Roux and stir until sauce thickens. Should be a light-gravy consistency. (3-5 minutes)
4. Stir in Parmesan and season with Salt & Pepper (Taste, taste, taste! Make sure its right for you!)

Rice Cakes
1. Boil water in a pot and add rice cakes. Cook as per instructions on the packaging for rice cakes. (Usually 2-3 minutes)

Finale
1. Add Cooked Rice Cakes to the Sauce and stir (just like a pasta).
2. Add Sesame Oil to everything and stir.
3. Plate and add Fried Sage Leaves to the dish. Serve hot!

Pro Tip: You want to be light on the sauce when you plate; don’t smother it!

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