There are seven official recipes based on food that appears in the movie Chef and here's how to cook them all. Chef - a food-centric dramedy film - is light on the drama, but still became a bit of an independent sensation for its impeccable food styling, soundtrack, cast (including Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Rober Downey Jr., and Sofia Vergara), and heartwarming plot. Chef has a straightforward story but ultimately that's fine because Chef doesn't pretend that it's trying to be gutwrenching or shocking - it's simply about a father, a son, and the food they cook together.
To create the incredible food that appears in Chef, Jon Favreau (director, producer, and star of Chef) brought in chef Roy Choi. Choi is a celebrity chef known for his Mexican-Korean taco truck, Kogi Korean BBQ, where he helped start the trend of combining gourmet-quality food with the accessibility of a food truck. Choi created the recipes used in Chef and now stars alongside Favreau in a spinoff reality series on Netflix called The Chef Show.
The Chef movie is now also on Netflix, and some viewers may feel inspired by Jon Favreau's food film to try their hand at cooking. Lucky for them, there's an official website for The Chef Show that includes recipes for several of the stunning and mouth-watering dishes that starred in Chef (most of which are recreated on The Chef Show). Here's how to make Spicy Braised Chicken, Scarlett's Pasta (Aglio e Olio), Mojo Pork, Cubanos, Grilled Cheese, Chocolate Lava Cake, and Berries and Cream.
How To Make Spicy Braised Chicken
Spicy Braised Chicken isn't a recipe from the Chef movie, but Chef star and director Jon Favreau makes Spicy Braised Chicken with chef Roy Choi and comedian Seth Rogen in The Chef Show. This recipe requires a bit of prep and a lot of ingredients, but with some planning and an organized workspace, the recipe itself is doable for the average home cook. Braising is the cooking process of searing ingredients at a high heat then adding liquid, covering the pot, reducing the heat, and slow-cooking the food until it’s finished.
Kochujang (also marketed as gochujang) is a spicy Korean chili paste made with fermented sticky rice that gives it a slightly sweet flavor. Kochukaru (also marketed as gochugaru) are dried chili flakes from Korean chili peppers. Both kochujang and kochukaru are fairly common ingredients that can be found at many supermarkets and they’re also readily available online or at an Asian food store.
Spicy Pork Marinade:
- 1/2 c kalbi marinade (see recipe)
- 2 c kochujang
- 1/2 c kochukaru
- 3 jalapenos
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c garlic cloves
Chili Paste:
- 2 c kochujang
- 1 c kochukaru
- 2 tbl garlic puree
- 2 tbl ginger puree
- 2 tbl oyster sauce
- 1/2 c soy sauce
- 3/8 c brown sugar
Magic Sauce:
- 250 g kochujang
- 250 g kochukaru
- 6 oz fish sauce
- 125 g sesame oil
- 2 ½ tbl chopped garlic
- 3/4 whole yellow onion, chopped
- 250 g beef broth
Kalbi Marinade:
- 1 qt soy sauce
- 2 c maple syrup
- 2 1/2 c sugar
- 2 1/2 c onions
- 1 scallion
- 3/4 c whole garlic cloves
- 1 kiwi, peeled
- 1/2 Asian pear
Spicy Braised Chicken:
- 1 c Magic Sauce (see recipe)
- 1/2 c Spicy Pork Marinade (see recipe)
- 1/2 c Chili Paste (see recipe)
- 2-3 c chicken stock
- 2 tbl canola oil
- 1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
- 16oz julienne veggies (onion, bell peppers, carrots, jalapeño)
- 8oz fingerling potatoes (quartered, soaked in cold water)
- 16oz deli cup vermicelli noodles
- 3oz cold butter
- Salt and pepper
- Calrose rice (cooked)
Method:
Start by gathering the ingredients for the sauces. Once the ingredients for each of the sauces have been measured in separate bowls, puree each sauce one at a time and set aside. After the sauce needed for the Spicy Braised Chicken has been measured out, the remainder of each sauce can be stored and used later.
Prep the rest of the vegetables by cutting them into thick matchsticks (also known as julienning) and set aside. Break the whole chicken down into eight pieces (two each of wing, drumstick, breast, and thigh). Heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a cast-iron pan (aka dutch oven) or another heavy-bottomed pan that has a lid, then sear the chicken over medium-high heat until all sides of the chicken pieces are slightly golden brown. Add one cup of Magic Sauce, half a cup of Spicy Pork Marinade, half a cup of Chili Paste, and two to three cups of chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the chicken, and cook for 30-45 minutes.
Taste the sauce and adjust it if needed. Then, add the carrots and drained potatoes and cook for 5 minutes before adding the onions and cooking for another 10. Add the green onions and noodles, then cook for 3 minutes before making final adjustments, adding salt, acidity, or heat if needed. Finish the dish by folding in the butter. Serve over cooked rice.
How To Make Scarlett’s Pasta (Aglio E Olio)
Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian dish of garlic (aglio) and oil (olio). It's an easy recipe that shouldn’t take more than half an hour to make. Chef Casper makes this simple dish for Scarlett Johannson's character, Molly, while exchanging flirtatious glances between chopping copious amounts of garlic and parsley - the primary flavors in this take on Aglio e Olio.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 large garlic cloves, thin slivers
- 1 tbl crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- 2 lemons
Boil the pasta in salted water and reserve some of the pasta water before draining the spaghetti – about a cup of pasta water should be enough. The cooking liquid from pasta water contains starches that thicken and emulsify pasta sauces as well as adding seasoning and helping the sauce to coat the pasta more evenly.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat then add the garlic. Be sure to stir the garlic as it cooks or it will cook unevenly and begin to burn. Once the garlic is golden brown, add the pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, then add the cooked spaghetti and toss until the pasta is fully coated. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time, as needed until the sauce achieves the desired consistency. Turn off the heat before adding the parsley and parmesan, continuing to toss until well-mixed. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and more parmesan before serving.
Roast Mojo Pork
Despite the long ingredient list, Mojo Pork has a simple preparation. This is arguably the food star of Chef. Martin's Mojo Pork is essential to crafting the famous Cubano sandwiches that their food truck, El Jefe, sells as they drive from Miami to Los Angeles. The method is shown briefly as Martin (John Leguizamo) prepares sandwiches for the men who helped them load their equipment into the food truck. He brines, marinates, and roasts the pork before slicing it and making Cubanos later that evening. In reality, this recipe needs to be planned a day or two in advance.
Ingredients:
- 6 lbs pork shoulder
- Mojo Marinade for the Pork:
- 2/3 c olive oil
- 2/3 c cilantro
- 4 tbl mint leaves
- 1/2 c orange juice
- 1/2 c freshly squeezed lime juice
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1⁄2 tbl grated orange peel
- 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2/3 tsp black pepper, ground
- 2/3 tsp fine sea salt
Brine for the Pork:
- 4 c orange juice
- 3.5 c water
- 1/2 c rice vinegar
- 1/2 c spiced rum
- 1/2 c salt
- 1/4 c sugar
- lots of minced garlic
- 1 tbl each fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, fresh sage, peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
Prepare the brine in a large bowl, pot, or plastic tub, and then brine the pork by submerging it in the liquid and refrigerating it for 12 hours. When 12 hours is almost up, blend the ingredients for the marinade. After 12 hours, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (don’t rinse it) then marinate the pork for at least 2 hours. Typically, the marinating process for raw meat shouldn’t last more than 12-24 hours. The pork can be marinated in the same container (after the brining liquid is discarded), but if the marinade doesn’t fully cover the pork inside the pot or tub, then place the pork in a plastic bag with the marinade. The pork can also be rotated during the marinating process to ensure thorough coverage.
Roast the pork in a low-temperature oven (250-300 degrees Fahrenheit) until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which could take up to 10 hours depending on oven temperature and the size of the cut. Baste the pork with the marinade throughout the cooking process.
Note that the pork will still be slightly pink, but be sure to check the temperature in two to three different places on the pork, getting the thermometer as close to the center of the cut as possible without touching the bone. Once the pork is fully cooked and removed from the oven, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting into it. Slice the pork thinly and use it in the following recipe: a Cuban sandwich.
How To Make A Cubano
A Cubano (or Cuban sandwich) is a pressed sandwich typically made with pork, ham, swiss, pickles, and mustard on a sandwich roll. The sandwich is then pressed in a plancha, which is a flat sandwich press distinct from a ridged panini press. Though the Cuban sandwich is widely believed to have originated in Florida around the turn of the century, the history of the sandwich predates that by four hundred years.
The thin, crunchy sandwich popularized by Cuban immigrant communities in Florida originated in Cuba, possibly more than 500 years ago. The Taíno tribe made a similar sandwich of meat stuffed between thin slices of crispy bread, though pork was not available in Cuba at the time [via Thrillist]. When Cubans immigrated to Florida, they started making a version of the sandwich that became popular across America and known as a Cubano.
Ingredients:
- ¾ lb thinly sliced Roast Mojo Pork
- Six 6-inch-long soft Cuban baguettes or hero rolls, split lengthwise
- Softened butter, for brushing
- 6 oz thinly sliced grilled ham
- ½ lb thinly sliced Swiss cheese
- 3 half-sour dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
- Yellow mustard, for brushing
To make a Cubano in the style of Chef, grill a buttered sandwich roll until golden brown. Take the thinly sliced Mojo Pork along with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard and layer them on one slice of the sandwich roll in this order: pork, ham, swiss, pickles. Spread mustard on the other slice of bread, close the sandwich, brush with butter, and press on the grill (no need for a sandwich press – just use a heavy, cast-iron pan or simply press with a metal spatula) until crisp, golden, and melty.
How To Make Grilled Cheese
The combination of different cheeses on top of a good, crusty sourdough takes this classic to a new level. Gruyere is a Swiss cheese that is milder and sweeter than the pungent Swiss commonly sold at American supermarkets – and it melts better. Check the deli counter at the supermarket or a gourmet food store to find Gruyere, but Swiss cheese will also work in a pinch.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1 slice gruyere
- 1 slice Parmesan
- 1 slice yellow cheddar
- 1 slice white cheddar
- Softened unsalted butter, for brushing
- Olive oil
Gather your bread, cheese, butter, and oil. Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Spread one side of each slice of bread with softened butter and place on a heated griddle with the butter side down. Stack one slice each of gruyere, parmesan, white cheddar, and yellow cheddar on one of the slices of bread. Move the bread around as it cooks until it’s golden brown.
Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese, toasted side up. Brush the top of the sandwich with butter then flip the sandwich and butter the top of the sandwich again, continuing to move the sandwich around the griddle. Check the bread as it cooks and take the sandwich off the griddle when the bread is dark golden brown. Brush the top once again with a little butter and serve.
How To Make Chocolate Lava Cake
For all the ire thrown its way in Chef, Chocolate Lava Cake is a decadent and delicious dessert that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. It’s not as complicated as it might seem, either. Chocolate Lava Cake is made by placing a ball of frozen ganache baked inside a standard chocolate cake batter. The ganache melts as the cake bakes and – when served hot – the melted ganache flows out of the cake as it is cut into, revealing a cavern of hot, gooey, chocolatey goodness hidden within the cake. As John Favreau's character, Carl Casper, loudly articulates in a viral outburst, “That’s what makes it molten!”
Ingredients:
- 14 oz dark chocolate
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- 12 tbl of Unsalted Butter
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 c light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbl Grand Marnier
- 6 tbl all-purpose flour
- Room temp butter, for greasing
- Raw sugar
To garnish:
- whipped cream
- strawberries
- blueberries
- powdered sugar
- cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the ganache, melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate in a double-boiler. A metal mixing bowl placed over a smaller pot with a little bit of barely simmering water will work – just take care with the metal bowl as it will become hot. Once the chocolate is melted, slowly stir in the cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then cover the bowl and freeze it for at least two hours.
In the double-boiler, melt the remaining 10 ounces of dark chocolate with the butter. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar together until foamy, then add vanilla extract and Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur, or unsweetened orange juice). Slowly add the melted chocolate and butter to the eggs and sugar, then whisk in flour one tablespoon at a time.
Grease 8 ramekins (or muffin tin) with butter, then coat with raw sugar. Fill each ramekin or muffin cup halfway with the cake batter. Divide the frozen ganache into balls that are roughly one or two tablespoons big. Then, place one ganache ball in each ramekin on top of the cake batter and cover evenly with the remaining batter.
Bake for 11 minutes at 425 F, then remove the lava cakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes to help them release from the tins or ramekins. Place a plate over each ramekin and flip it over quickly. Lift the ramekin off of the cake, which should have popped out onto the plate. Top with whipped cream and berries, then dust with powdered sugar and cocoa powder and serve immediately – or the ganache will re-set, which is still delicious, but not as exciting.
How To Make Berries and Cream
This rustic yet elegant dish is comprised of humble ingredients but is indeed worthy of the finest restaurant - a point which chef Casper wanted to prove by serving it on the night that his food critic nemesis returned. Unfortunately, he was fired before he got the chance to serve the dish and instead prepares it at home.
In Chef, Carl Casper is shown boiling the sugar to make the caramel dust, pouring it onto a pan, cracking it, and then sifting it over the berries, creating a unique topping for this simple dish. The berries are coated in sugar which releases their juices. Then, the bright, fruity flavor of the berries is complemented by mint, orange liqueur, cream, and "caramel dust." Anyone who has watched The Great British Baking Show will know that sugar work is more than a bit finicky. Luckily, this simple application of cooked sugar will be good practice for those who want to try their hand at candy making.
Ingredients:
- 1 c each raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries
- ½ c of sugar
- A handful of fresh mint leaves, julienned
- 2 tbl Grand Marnier
- 2 c white sugar
- 1 c heavy whipping cream
- ¼ c powdered sugar
First, sprinkle the berries with half a cup of sugar and set aside for about an hour. To make the caramel dust, start by boiling the rest of the sugar over medium heat. The sugar will dissolve and boil on its own, but be sure not to stir the sugar as it cooks. Instead, pick up the pan and gently swirl the sugar regularly.
The original recipe says to cook the sugar to a “caramel color,” but that is extraordinarily vague. If a candy thermometer is available, cook the sugar to at least 300 degrees Fahrenheit but no hotter than 310 degrees Fahrenheit. If a candy thermometer is not available, perform the cold-water test to see if the sugar has reached the “hard crack” stage by dropping a bit of the caramelized sugar in a bowl of ice water. If the sugar solidifies and the strands of sugar break instead of bending, it’s done.
Pour the caramel over a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside for one hour. Meanwhile, whip the cream and powdered sugar to medium peaks. Cut the mint into long, thin strands, then toss the mint and Grand Marnier with the sweetened berries. Top with whipped cream. With the handle of a sturdy spoon, break the sugar into shards and pulse in a blender until finely ground, then sift the resulting powder with a sieve over the berries and cream. Though, the method shown in Chef will also work – pummeling the sugar inside a towel and then sifting over the berries.
Chef is a delightful film. The passion that the characters have for their food naturally radiates from them because of the passion that the cast and crew have for food - and filmmaking. Real-life chefs have commented on how the movie feels grounded in reality and non-chefs have loved the film for the way it walks the line between being either too pretentious or too boring. The food in Chef is a feast for the eyes and now it can be a literal feast with these recipes - and a well-stocked pantry.