Korean Pear-Kimchi Goat Cheese Sandwich

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Korean Pear-Kimchi Goat Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

Pear Kimchi (makes about 1 quart)
1 head Napa cabbage (2 pounds), cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water, more if necessary to cover cabbage
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup kosher salt
2 cups matchstick carrots
2 cups matchstick daikon radish
1 (15-ounce) can Pacific Northwest Canned Pears, sliced, in extra light syrup, drained, juice reserved, each pear slice cut in half lengthwise

Kimchi Marinade
1 garlic head, cloves peeled and minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
½ cup minced onion
¼ cup gochujang paste
2 tablespoons gochugaru pepper flakes*
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup reserved pear juice

12 slices thick-cut applewood bacon
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
½ cup soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded mozzarella
8 slices farm style sourdough bread
4 tablespoons butter

* Substitutions: gochujang (which lists gochugaru as one of the ingredients), other chili powders, such as ichimi togarashi, paprika, chipotle powder, Aleppo pepper, or crushed red pepper.

Method

Kimchi Marinade
Whisk together all ingredients; refrigerate until ready to assemble kimchi.

Pear Kimchi
Tear cabbage leaves, by hand, into 2-inch pieces. Gently bring water to a boil, then dissolve the sugar and salt. Cool mixture and pour over cabbage leaves. Agitate the mixture every 20 to 30 minutes for 2 to 4 hours. Drain liquid. Rinse cabbage leaves briefly.
With gloved hands, gently combine the cooked cabbage leaves with the Kimchi Marinade, carrots, daikon radish, and pears. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place Pear Kimchi in a covered container and top the mixture with a small dinner plate in the cooler as a weight. Ferment, refrigerated, for 6 days.

Arrange bacon on a half sheet tray pan and scatter leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme over the top. Cook in a preheated 350-375°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, depending on thickness. Cool and cut into 1-inch pieces; set aside.

Combine the goat cheese and mustard to make a spreadable consistency; set aside.

Assemble
For each sandwich, spread inside of bottom slice of bread with 1 tablespoon goat cheese-mustard spread, followed by 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella, a single layer of cooked bacon pieces to cover, ½ cup Pear Kimchi, 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella, and top slice of bread spread with 1 tablespoon goat cheese-mustard spread. Spread ½ tablespoon butter on the outside of top slices of bread.

In a seasoned pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook the sandwiches on low heat to melt the cheese first (this acts as glue which will hold the sandwich together). Next, carefully flip the sandwich and melt the cheese on the second side. After cheese is melted, increase heat to lightly brown the crust on both sides.

Serve with additional Pear Kimchi on the side.

 

Servings

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Pear Kimchi (makes about 3 quarts)
2 heads Napa cabbage (6 pounds), cleaned and trimmed
12 cups water, more if necessary to cover cabbage
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-½ cups kosher salt
6 cups matchstick carrots
6 cups matchstick daikon radish
3 (15-ounce) cans Pacific Northwest Canned Pears, sliced, in extra light syrup, drained, juice reserved, each pear slice cut in half lengthwise

Kimchi Marinade
3 garlic heads, cloves peeled and minced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1-½ cups minced onion
¾ cup gochujang paste
6 tablespoons gochugaru pepper flakes*
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons fish sauce
¾ cup reserved pear juice

36 slices thick-cut applewood bacon
9 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
1-½ cups soft goat cheese
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 cups shredded mozzarella
24 slices farm style sourdough bread
12 tablespoons butter

* Substitutions: gochujang (which lists gochugaru as one of the ingredients), other chili powders, such as ichimi togarashi, paprika, chipotle powder, Aleppo pepper, or crushed red pepper

Method

Kimchi Marinade
Whisk together all ingredients; refrigerate until ready to assemble kimchi.

Pear Kimchi
Tear cabbage leaves, by hand, into 2-inch pieces. Gently bring water to a boil, then dissolve the sugar and salt. Cool mixture and pour over cabbage leaves. Agitate the mixture every 20 to 30 minutes for 2 to 4 hours. Drain liquid. Rinse cabbage leaves briefly.
With gloved hands, gently combine the cooked cabbage leaves with the Kimchi Marinade, carrots, daikon radish, and pears. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place Pear Kimchi in a covered container and top the mixture with a small dinner plate in the cooler as a weight. Ferment, refrigerated, for 6 days.

Arrange bacon on a half sheet tray pan and scatter leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme over the top. Cook in a preheated 350-375°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, depending on thickness. Cool and cut into 1-inch pieces; set aside.

Combine the goat cheese and mustard to make a spreadable consistency; set aside.

Assemble
For each sandwich, spread inside of bottom slice of bread with 1 tablespoon goat cheese-mustard spread, followed by 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella, a single layer of cooked bacon pieces to cover, ½ cup Pear Kimchi, 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella, and top slice of bread spread with 1 tablespoon goat cheese-mustard spread. Spread ½ tablespoon butter on the outside of top slices of bread.

In a seasoned pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook the sandwiches on low heat to melt the cheese first (this acts as glue which will hold the sandwich together). Next, carefully flip the sandwich and melt the cheese on the second side. After cheese is melted, increase heat to lightly brown the crust on both sides.

Serve with additional Pear Kimchi on the side.

 

Servings

Yield: 12 servings