This month, I was back with Dakota at Bombshell Bakers for another "Food-lesque" Pop-Up. Calamity Chang and Varla Verlour faced off in a East vs. West sexy hot sauce burlesque battle, brave souls went head-to-head against each other to down a bowl of spicy kimchi (everyone's favorite Korean fermented food, right?), and attendees challenged themselves to a hot sauce blind taste test hosted by Heatonist.
For this spicy pop-up, I was inspired by my recent trip to Nashville and the killer hot chicken nuggets we had at The Sutler Saloon. Fried chicken is nothing new in Korean food, as we can see by the proliferation of Bon-Chons and Kyo-Chons across the city. They're twice-fried for extra crunchiness and less greasiness, and totally on point for eating alongside all those beers you'd need to wash down that hot sauce. In addition, I created some tasty sides, since it wouldn't be good ol' Southern OR Korean cooking without 'em.
Hot Chicken Hot Plate
Dwenjang (soybean) collards – before
And after!
Creamy pureed kimchi bechamel for Mac n Cheese
Pork belly two ways for Mac n Cheese – crispy pork belly & Benton's bacon
Wet dredge for Hot Chicken Nuggets – buttermilk, eggs & Frank's hot
Dry dredge for Hot Chicken Nuggets
First fry for Hot Chicken Nuggets
Heatonist's Hot Sauce Blind Taste Test
Calamity Chang's Sriracha burlesque
Yooeating?! Hot Chicken Hot Plate – with Varla Velour go-go dancing in the back!
MENU?!
Hot Chicken Hot Plate:
Korean Fried Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets
Brined, wet / dry dredged, twice fried and coated in a spicy sauce
Soy Garlic Pickles
Kimchi Pork Belly Mac & Cheese
Dwenjang Collard Greens