Our gastronomic tour this month takes us to Asia, to a small country with distinguished cooking techniques, South Korea. Our special contributor this month is Rose Iacono.
Korean food stands out because of its bold flavor produced by spicy, heavy seasoning and fermentation. Each meal usually consists of soup and rice with seafood or meat and an array of side dishes. The unique flavor developed by the combination of spicy seasoning and fermentation makes Korean dishes popular on their own as well as when incorporated into the traditional food of other countries in fusion meals.
Breakfast – Doenjang Jjigae (Korean miso soup) (4 servings)
Ingredients
-1 small Korean zucchini or other types, cubed
-4 fresh shiitake mushrooms or dried mushrooms soaked in water, thinly sliced
-1 pack enoki mushrooms – optional
-1 box of tofu, cubed
-½ medium yellow onion, sliced
-1 tsp minced garlic
-3 tbsp Korean soybean paste
-1 tsp Korean chili paste if you want to add spice – optional
-4 ½ cups vegetable, beef, or anchovy stock
Directions
Bring vegetable stock to boil.
Add all ingredients except for the enoki mushrooms.
Simmer until the zucchini is tender.
Then add the enoki mushrooms and boil for another minute.
Serve hot.
Note: You can eat this soup by itself, with rice, or topped with green onions.
Lunch – Naengmyeon (chilled buckwheat noodle soup) (4 servings)
Ingredients
-10 oz. thin buckwheat noodles, dried
-1 long Korean cucumber or 4 Persian cucumber or other types, sliced
-1 tsp minced garlic
-2 hard boiled eggs
-2 green onions, sliced
-4 tbsp rice vinegar or lemon/lime juice
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-4 cups chilled beef broth (1/2 lb beef brisket simmered with 1 onion -4 cloves of garlic, 3 thin ginger slices, salt, pepper) OR use 4 cups Kimchi broth
– Korean chili paste or Korean mustard oil if you want to add more spice
Directions
Marinate sliced cucumber with salt, minced garlic, 1 tbsp vinegar, chili paste, and green onions for ½ hour.
Cook buckwheat noodles following the instructions on the package.
Rinse the noodles with ice water and drain.
Mix the remaining broth and seasonings, and pour over divided noodles in each bowl. Top each bowl of noodles with the marinated cucumbers and half a sliced egg. Add hot sauce if desired.
Dinner – Bulgogi ( 4 servings)–recipe from Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking
Ingredients
4 large garlic cloves
1 cup peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped Asian or Bosc pear
¾ cup chopped onion
1 tsp finely chopped peeled ginger
1 tsp finely chopped peeled ginger
1 pound boneless sirloin, tenderloin, or skirt steak, partially frozen and cut across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices
1 scallion, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar or honey
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Combine the garlic, pear, onion, and ginger in a food processor or blender and process until pale and creamy.
Put the steak in a large bowl and pour the pear mixture over it. Add the scallion, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and pepper and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to several hours.
Heat a cast-iron grill pan or large skillet over high heat. Alternatively, build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to high.
Cook the meat, turning or stirring occasionally, 2 minutes for medium or 3 minutes for well done. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Note: Traditionally eaten with lettuce leaves and soybean paste dipping sauce (Maangchi’s soybean paste dipping sauce recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ssamjang). Can also be eaten with rice and side dishes (Korean Bapsang’s traditional side dish recipes: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/15-korean-vegetable-side-dishes/).
