PE Paper, Paper Cup, Carrier, Holder (click photo !!)

Coffee bean Grinder (Click photo !)

Mobile Cases & Mobile Screen Protector (Click photo !)

WORLD CLOCK

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Tangpyeongchae, (mung bean jelly mixed with vegetables and beef)


Tangpyeongchae (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Tangpyeongchae is a dish made of jellied mung beans, sprouts, beef, watercress and eggs. It is sweet and sour in taste, rich in nutrition and harmonized with colors from the meat and vegetables. The name “tangpyeongchae” came about when the dish appeared on the table for the first time during discussions of tangpeongchaek (unbiased policy) in the Yeongjo era of the Joseon Dynasty.

Ingredients

● 300 g mung bean jelly, 3 cups water (seasoning: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sesame oil)

● 100 g beef (seasoning: 2/3 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sesame salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil)

● 100 g mung bean sprouts, 50g watercress, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt

● 1/4 ea red pepper, 1 sheet laver

● 1 egg, 1 tsp edible oil

● vinegar soy sauce: 2/3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame salt


1. Shred mung bean jelly into 7 cm-long and 0.5 cm-thick strips.

2. Clean the beef, shred into 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-thick strips, mix with seasoning sauce (100 g).

3. Remove the heads and tails of the mung bean sprouts. Trim watercress stalks and wash under running water. Shred red pepper into 3 cm-long pieces.
4. Panfry egg for yellow/white garnish, and cut into 4 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide pieces.

5. Blend vinegar soy sauce.

6. Put water into a pot, heat it up for 3 minutes on high heat. When it boils, boil mung bean jelly for 1 minute (250 g), take out the jelly from the pot and drain water. Mix with seasoning.

7. When the frying pan is heated, put in the beef and pan-fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.

8. Pour water in the pot and heat it up for 2 minutes on high heat. When it boils, boil mung bean sprouts with salt for 2 minutes. Boil watercress for 1 minute and rinse in water, cut into 4 cm-long pieces.

9. Toast laver for 1 minute on low heat and crush up.

10. Mix mung bean jelly with beef, mung bean sprouts, watercress and vinegar soy sauce. Garnish with red pepper, laver and egg garnish.

Tips

● Thinly shred mung bean jelly may serve different taste.

● Mix the salad just before serving; it’s not to be watery.

● A small vinegar soy sauce bowl may be served with the main dish, instead of mixing with jelly.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Brunch revisited


Brunch for breakfast, lunch and dinner still popular


In Korea, brunch is not bound by the time of the day. What originally arrived as a breakfast-lunch deal is being enjoyed at all hours.

“Koreans tend to view brunch as a meal that can be enjoyed most any time of day,” said Pancakes Original Story managing director Amy Song.

The popular brunch spot originally served a separate dinner menu when it first opened in Hannam-dong nearly three years ago. Then, into its second year of business, Pancakes Original Story decided to focus on an all-day brunch menu.

According to Song, the tradition of eating rice, soup and side dishes for breakfast has influenced how South Koreans perceive brunch, meaning it is seen less as a breakfast-lunch substitute and more as a spread that one can dig into whenever one wants.
My Ssong’s corn pancakes with bacon and sausage — just drizzle with maple syrup and dig in. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

Brunch-and-casual diner My Ssong co-president Lee Song-hee also revealed that many people want to eat brunch at night; hence the establishment’s anytime brunch menu.

In other words, on South Korean turf at least, brunch should not be wholly defined as breakfast-meets-lunch, the word, in Song’s opinion, is a term unto itself, unfettered by a time slot.

However, one definitive trend amongst popular brunch places here is the presence of standard American breakfast fare ― pancakes, waffles, omelets ― on the menu.

In that respect, both Pancakes Original Story and My Ssong fit the mold. Furthermore, not only do both establishments specialize in pancakes and the like, both are fully committed to brunch, serving it in the morning as well as at night.

“I am a morning person so I wanted a place where people like me could go,” My Ssong co-president Lee, 33, explained.

According to Pancakes Original Story’s Song, the 6,800 won breakfast plate that is available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays is popular, signaling that they too attract an early bird crowd.
Pancakes Original Story puffy garden omelet — the platter comes with a pancake, housemade sausage patty, white sausage, bacon and home fried potatoes or salad (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea )Herald

Both My Ssong and Pancakes Original Story have been catering to their morning fans and other devoted patrons for around three years now, making them brunch veterans. In fact, fans of Pancakes Original Story will be glad to hear that they are looking to open a second outlet in conjunction with its third anniversary later this year.

Becoming an established brunch spot is not easy, and generally signifies the presence of a signature dish, one that is harder to find elsewhere.

At Pancakes Original Story, the puffy omelette plate is one such platter. The adjective “puffy” does full justice to this egg-confection. A mountainous cloud of fluff, topped with (“cooked” assures Song) egg foam, the omelette is, for lack of a better word, big and tasty.

The garden rendition features pungent blue cheese as well as cheddar, with spinach, bell peppers and mushrooms adding pops of color and flavor to the creation.

At 13,800 won, you get a veritable feast. A velvety buttermilk pancake, herbed potatoes, a housemade brown sausage patty, a strip of bacon and a white sausage come with the omelette, making for a bounteous brunch platter indeed.

As one can derive from the name of this ever-popular spot, the pancakes are good too. There is even a version called “freak” pancakes on the menu, which Song says incorporates cornflakes. The double banana ones feature slices of caramelized banana sprinkled on top of two buttermilk pancakes for a reasonable 6,500 won.

At My Ssong, one of their signature dishes appears to be their cornmeal pancakes. Though the 17,000 won price tag for two with bacon and sausage might cause a few to blink, attempt to polish one off a plate on your own and you might find you got a heftier plate than you bargained for.

How best to describe the two massive, thick, pillowy pancakes that arrive?

The pancakes are dense, moist, rich in corn flavor, but not to the point where it renders them grainy in texture. Crisp bacon and a full pork link give the needed salt factor to diners who like to smother their pancakes in maple syrup.

The added charm is that coffee comes with unlimited free refills of Americano, no extra charge, giving diners a good excuse to linger over their meals in the quaint spot near Dosan Park.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

Jeju black pigs, a special breed


Spring not only heralds longer days and warmer weather. It also signals the onslaught of yellow dust.

When the dust rolls in, the masks go on and pork, which is believed to help detoxify the body of inhaled pollutants, gets served.

Add to that the recent, controversial public reaction to the news of yet another case of mad cow disease in the U.S. and it looks like this might be the season of the pig.

Now, when it comes to breds on South Korean turf, the Jeju Island black pig is among the most prized.

It is the veritable wagyu of “porkdom.” It is the poster boy of rarity, partly because it is harder to get (news reports estimate that for around every six average pigs only one black pig goes to the slaughterhouse annually, and that is for Jeju Island alone).
Ggeomeokchon’s Jeju black ogyeopsal (five-layered pork belly) is grilled in thick slabs over hardwood charcoal, along with complementary pork rind, for a flame-kisse, steak-like experience (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

That also means it is more expensive.

Famed Jeju black pork restaurant Heukdonga CEO Lim Jong-hoon puts the price tag at around 20 percent more than that for the average pork.

So why are people forking over money for this dark-haired animal with perky ears?

“The Jeju black pig has a high proportion of red muscle fibers,” Kim Ho-su of GilGal Livestock Company, which raises and distributes Jeju black pigs and its pork, said.

Put in layman’s terms, that translates to redder meat. It is also believed by some that those red muscle fibers may serve as an indication that the meat will boast a rich, strong steak-like taste, i.e. like beef, which has them in spades.

“Some consumers say Jeju black pork tastes nutty, and therefore requires no extra seasoning,” GilGal department head Kim, 47, added.

Heukdonga’s Lim, 56, said, “Jeju Island’s groundwater boasts a high mineral content and that somehow seems to result in the less gamey scents of the pork of the Jeju black pig.”

Chef Shin Hak-cheol at Ggeomeokchon, a Seoul restaurant that serves Jeju black pork, said some of its defining features are “elasticity and a clean-tasting flavor.”

In fact, Shin, 48, repeatedly stressed the chewiness of the pork, especially if it has been aged properly.

Elasticity is a tough quality to understand as appealing in meat ― that is until you have taken a thick slab of Ggeokmeokchon’s Jeju black ogyeopsal (five-layered pork belly), laid it over a hardwood charcoal grill, let the flames lick it, cut it up and started to pop crisp, piping hot morsel after morsel into your mouth.

The stripes of fat melt on contact, while the actual meat wedged in between acts as firm, crisp-skinned vessels for all the rich juiciness within. That initial resistance creates a wonderful, bouncy texture, what Shin refers to as “chew” or “elasticity.”

Now that these industry insiders have given us their take on Jeju black pork, identifying it might seem like a piece of cake.

However, a recent controversy regarding the authenticity of black pork sold in restaurants highlights how challenging it can be to know if what you are eating is the real deal.

In late January, an MBC television program had genetic tests conducted on 38 cuts of pork from 24 black pork establishments and found that 10 cuts from nine eateries were not black pork.

How, then, can one tell if it is a black pig?

“If you look at the rind of samgyeopsal, you might be able to detect some black-hued hair roots,” GilGal’s Kim said. “It is pretty much the only way you can tell.”

The program and the ensuing press over it not only pinpointed certain difficulties in telling whether or not pork is from a black pig, it also testifies to the obsession we have over black pork. Of course, when it comes to black pigs, the Jeju black pig, in particular, has serious name value.

That doesn’t mean everyone is a fan. The best way to decide if you like Jeju black pork is to try it.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

Where to dine
Located in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, Ggeomeokchon serves famed Jeju black pork (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)
● Ggeomeokchon: 95-8 Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; (02) 544-6951; open from 11 a.m. to midnight weekdays, till 10 p.m. on weekends; one order of Jeju native black ogyeopsal (five-layered pork belly) costs 15,000 won with an initial two order minimum.

● Heukdonga Samsung Outlet: 147-15 1, 2F Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; (02) 2051-0008; www.blackpigseoul.co.kr; open 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Saturdays and till 10 p.m. Sundays; grilled pork costs 16,000 won per order with a two order minimum.

Jogiyangnyeom-gui, (seasoned and broiled yellow corvine)


Jogiyangnyeom-gui (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Jogiyangnyeom-gui is broiled jogi (yellow corvina) coated with red pepper paste seasoning. Dried jogi is called “gulbi.” The taste of gulbi is so good that there is an old tale in which a miser, Jaringobi, hangs one on the ceiling and enjoys the taste only by glancing at it after every spoon of steamed rice.

Ingredients
● 4 yellow corvina, 1/2 tsp salt

● sesame soy sauce : 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

● seasoning sauce : 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger juice, 1/2 tsp sesame salt, 0.1 g ground black pepper, 1 tbsp sesame oil

● 1 tbsp edible oil

1. Scrape the scales off the yellow corvina and cut off the fins. Take out the internal organs through the gills. Wash the fish, spread salt on both sides of the body, and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Blend sesame soy sauce and seasoning sauce.

3. Put knife slits in the fish at intervals of 2 cm.

4. Coat the fish with sesame soy sauce and marinate for 10 minutes.

5. Preheat and oil the iron grill. Broil the yellow corvina roughly, at about 15 cm above the heat, for 4 minutes for one side and another 3 minutes after turning over.

6. When the fish are broiled yellowish, coat them with seasoning sauce. On medium heat, broil for 10 minutes and another 10 minutes after turning over, taking care not to let them burn.

Tip
Do not set the iron grill close to the heat source.

(Adapted from Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Oiseon (stuffed cucumber)


Oiseon (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Oiseon is a dish of cucumbers stuffed with beef, brown oak mushrooms, and egg white and yolk garnish. The cucumbers are slit and the filling tucked inside. They are then sprinkled with sweet vinegar sauce. It has a tantalizing sweet and sour taste and a beautiful color. This dish stimulates the appetite and is usually served as an appetizer.

Ingredients
● 1 cucumber, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp salt

● 30g beef, 2 sheets brown oak mushrooms

● seasoning sauce: 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp minced green onion, 1/5 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 sp sesame salt, 0.1 g ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

● 1 egg, 2 tsp edible oil, 0.1g shred red pepper sweet vinegar: 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp water

1. Wash the cucumber, halve it lengthwise, put 3 diagonal slits at intervals of 0.5 cm on the skin side and cut off at the fourth slit.

2. Marinate cucumber in salt water for 15 min, then wipe dry.

3. Shred beef 2.5 cm long and 0.2 cm wide/thick.

4. Soak the brown oak mushrooms in water for about 1 hour, remove stems and shred same size as beef, season the beef and mushrooms together with seasoning sauce.

5. Panfry egg for yellow and white garnish and cut finely as beef.

6. Cut red pepper into 1 cm strips.

7. Blend sweet vinegar.

Tips
Select a thin, straight and soft cucumber.

The sweet vinegar should be sprinkled on top just before serving for better taste and better color.

(Adapted from Institute of Traditional Korean Food

Domimyeon


Domimyeon (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Domimyeon is a casserole made of fried sea bream fillets, vegetables and potato starch noodles in boiling broth. This dish is served and eaten while it is simmering. Domimyeon is unique in taste, luxurious and easy to eat since it uses boneless fish fillets.

Ingredients

● 500 g sea-bream: 1/5 tsp salt, 0.1 g ground white pepper

● broth: 150 g beef (brisket, shank), 6 cups water

● seasoning sauce 1: 3 1/2 tsp clear soy sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil

● 60 g beef (top round, sirloin)

● seasoning sauce 2: 1 tsp clear soy sauce, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 0.1 g ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp sesame oil

● dumpling: 20 g minced beef, 10 g tofu

● seasoning sauce 3: 1/3 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp minced green onion, 1/4 tsp minced garlic 0.1 g ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

● 2 brown oak mushrooms, 1 g stone mushrooms, 2 g jelly ear mushrooms

● 1 ea red pepper, 40 g potato starch noodles, 20 g crown daisy

● 1 tsp pine nuts, 4 ea gingko, 2 ea walnut

● 15 g watercress, 3 ea egg, 3 tbsp wheat flour, 2 tbsp edible oil

● 4 cups broth, 1/2 tbsp clear soy sauce, 1 tsp salt

1. Remove the scales, fins and internal organs of the sea-bream and rinse. Slice fillet from both sides of the fish and cut it into 4 cm-wide and 5 cm-long pieces. Sprinkle salt and ground white pepper, let it sit for 10 minutes, then pat dry.

2. Clean blood off the beef for broth. Clean blood off top round, and shred it at intervals of 0.3 cm-wide, then season with seasoning sauce 2.

3. Clean blood of the minced beef. Wrap the tofu with dry cotton cloths, squeeze water out and mash. Season the mixture of minced beef and tofu with seasoning sauce 3, shape dumplings into 1.5 cm-diameter.

4. Soak the mushrooms in water for 1 hour, remove the stems of brown oak mushrooms and dry, cut it into 2 cm-wide and 4-5 cm-long. Wash the stone mushrooms, chop it finely and mix it with egg whites. Trim the jelly ear mushrooms and separate it sheet by sheet.

5. Trim and wash the crown daisy. Halve the red pepper lengthwise and cut it into 2 cm-wide and 4-5 cm-long. Soak the potato starch noodles in water for 1 hour.

6. Remove tops of the pine nuts and wipe them with dry cotton cloths. Soak the walnuts in warm water and skin. Stir-fry the gingko and skin.

7. Panfry egg for garnish. Panfry the stone mushrooms and watercress with coatings of wheat flour liquid and beaten egg, cut them into same size of brown oak mushrooms.

8. Put water and beef in the pot and heat it up for 7 minutes on high heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth through cotton cloths (800 g). Take out the beef, slice it into 2 cm-wide, 1.5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-thick pieces, season it with 40 g of seasoning sauce ①.

9. Coat the beef dumplings with wheat flour and beaten egg, panfry for about 3 minutes on medium heat.

10. Coat the slices of sea-bream with wheat flour and beaten egg. Preheat the frying pan and oil, panfry it on medium heat for 2 minutes and for another 2 minutes after turn over (185 g).

11. Place the boiled and sliced beef, seasoned beef and potato starch noodles in the simmering pot, and put the sea-bream’s head and bones on it. Then place the fried sea-bream, egg garnish, vegetables and nuts around the pot. Add broth and boil it for 4 minutes on high heat. When it boils, season with diluted clear soy sauce and salt. Bring it to a boil and finally put the crown daisy on top.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Fusion without borders


Chefs use Asian cuisine as spring board for fare that is outside of the box


In the world of cuisine, the term “fusion” was usually married to a set of regions; giving the diner an idea of what to expect.

Shall we be having Korean-Italian, French-Chinese or some other hybrid and hopefully a harmonious meeting of several different cuisines tonight?

The experience was at times sensational, where ingredients that one might never have imagined appearing on the same dish did successfully meet, attracting press and buzz. Fusion was trendy, hip and au courant.

Now, it seems to have surpassed that initial wave of novelty. Fusion has grown deeper roots, making it something of a norm, more of a natural result of an amalgam of a chef’s freewheeling and increasingly globalized aesthetic.
E-bab’s housemade yogurt with a mulberry “enzyme” drizzle (left) and chwinamul-nut and tot-mushroom rice balls. Toasted nuts, slicd jujubes and sesame seed oil give the chwinamul (aster scaber) jumeok bap its nutty and sweet richness, while rice that has been cooked in mushroom water gives the tot (seaweed fusiforme)  jumeok bap its wonderful fragrance. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

E-bab, a tiny shop near Changdeokgung in Gye-dong, is a prime example of what happens when fusion is the outcome of an organic phenomenon, grown out of a creative process not confined to a single region.

Though one might be initially tempted to define the cuisine as Japanese-meets-Korean, a few trips will reveal that the winning charms of the establishment’s star concoctions, like their housemade mulberry yogurt, the nut-studded chwinamul jumeok bap and a tart omija lemonade-style drink, stem from the owner-chefs’ willingness to simply step over any boundary, with wonderfully tasty gusto to boot.

Run by two friends, Lee Myung-sook and Lee Mi-sook, E-bab opened its doors in this quiet and charming neighborhood in the winter of 2010 with the purpose of “making food that is good for you,” said co-owner-chef Myung-sook, 50.

“We wanted to do something different, healthy and unique,” she added. The end result was a menu primarily devoted to jumeok bap (rice balls) that forked off into two categories ― Korean-style and Japanese-style versions.

The key to their rice balls (known as onigiri in Japan), however, is that E-bab’s chefs use those regions as a basic outline for what they seek to achieve. Both Myung-sook and Mi-sook are willing to use a variety of ingredients, regardless of ethnic origin, to create something that is chock full of that yum factor.

Toasted nuts give the chwinamul (aster scaber) jumeok bap its richness, punctuated by sweet slivers of jujube and sesame seed oil. Honey mustard gives the tuna-and-mayo onigiri a spiced-up edge that makes it utterly delicious.

Though rice ― at its glossy, high-definition, big-kernel-rendered best ― is the leading lady of this eatery, the yogurt topped with a mulberry “enzyme” drizzle, oatmeal and loaded with slices of banana is one of E-bab’s highlights.

Housemade, pudding-like in texture, cool and slightly tart, E-bab’s yogurt proves how a willingness to take one’s menu anywhere can result in a great thing.

The same attitude works well for Touch and Spice, a two-story restaurant in Seoul’s Saerosugil. The spacious and lounge-like establishment specializes in what they refer to as “creative mix Asian cuisine.”

“We apply a lot of Western techniques to Asian ingredients,” clarified chef de cuisine Park In-oo, 35.

The approach shines through in their wasabi cream chicken and mango. Fried chicken is robed in a creamy sauce. The richness of the sauce is counterbalanced with nose-clearing wasabi, while a whole, fresh mango half gives what Park refers to as that key “sweet and sour” element. A small pinch of salt is served alongside the mango.

“I guess you could say sprinkling salt over it adds body to the fruit’s flavor,” he explained.

Despite their decidedly Asian banner, Touch and Spice does not hedge all their bets on one stretch of territory alone. The multi-page menu that includes everything from appetizers to main dishes to sides, desserts and cocktails has the expansive reach of a quasi-nomadic jetsetter.

The adventurous diner can sample everything from miso sauce lamb steak to curry to tandoori paratha paired with a cream cheese dip or even classic British fish and chips, which comes with something called onion jam.
A dab of lime curd gives Touch and Spice’s sweet and decadent custard cake a tart punch.(Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

One of the establishment’s stellar sweets, the Asian custard and lime curd dessert, sports a distinctly European pedigree.

Riffing off the lemon curd traditionally enjoyed at a British afternoon tea, Park reveals that lime was used instead because he thinks it packs a piercingly tart punch that offsets the decadent sweetness of the custard-topped sponge served with it.

Served in a cute jam jar, diners are urged to pop off the lid, dip in a wooden knife and spread the fragrant and sour curd over nibbles of warm, gooey, caramel-esque-edged, custard-topped, dense, vanilla-speckled cake.

Come summer, Park revealed that the menu will undergo a partial revamp. What to expect?

“Asian barbecue,” said Park.


Details
E-bab; 104-49 Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul; (02) 744-2325; open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, closed Sundays; rice balls cost 3,000 won to 5,500 won, rice ball sets cost 6,500 won to 7,500 won, housemade mulberry yogurt 4,000 won, lemon omija tea 3,500 won.

Touch and Spice; 541-4 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; (02) 542-3009; www.touchandspice.com; open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; prix fixe meals cost 33,000 won to 42,000 won, main dishes 17,000 won to 38,000 won, starters and salads 13,000 won to 18,000 won, side dishes and snacks 4,500 won to 30,000 won, cakes and pudding 7,500 won to 10,500 won.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

Samhap janggwa, (three braised delicacies)


Samhap janggwa (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Samhap janggwa is a dish of three kinds of seafood (mussels, abalone and sea slug) braised with beef and seasonings. Nowadays, the seafood is cooked alive, but in olden days it was dried then cooked after soaking in water because the amino acid and taurine content increases during drying and enhances the taste.

Ingredients

● 160g abalone, 5 cups water

● 60g soaked sea slug

● 100g mussels, 3 cups water, 2 tsp salt, 2 cups seafood scalding water, 1/2 tsp salt

● 50g beef (top round)

● seasoning sauce : 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame salt, 1 tsp sesame oil

● braising sauce : 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, 2 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup water

● 1 tsp sesame oil

● 1 tsp pine nuts

1. Clean the abalone with the brush and wash. Take out the flesh and remove entrails. Slice them into 4 cm-wide, 3 cm-long and 0.5 cm-thick, maintaining the shape.

2. Wash the soaked sea slug and halve it lengthwise, then cut it into 2.5 cm cubes.

3. Cut the whiskers from the mussels and gently rinse in salt water.

4. Clean the beef and cut into 3 cm-wide slivers. Season with seasoning sauce.

5. Prepare pine nut powder.

6. Pour water into the pot, heat it up for 2 minutes on high heat. Scald the abalone, sea slug and mussels each for 30 seconds.

7. Put braising sauce into the pot, heat it for 2 minutes on high heat. When it boils, lower the heat to medium, continue to boil it for another 7 minutes. When the braising sauce is reduced, put the beef and braise for 2 minutes. Add abalone, sea slug and mussels and braise for 3 minutes with sprinkling broth to set a gloss on. Mix them with sesame oil together.

8. Place on a dish and top with pine nut powder.

Tip
Braise seafood on medium heat slowly or it may become tough.

(Adapted from Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Jeonbokjuk (rice porridge with abalone)

Jeonbokjuk is a delicacy made of sliced abalone and non-glutinous rice. It has a sweet taste, pleasant aroma and is rich in nutrients. It was served as a noble dish in Joseon’s royal courts. Blue jeonbokjuk is a special delicacy cooked with abalone entrails. It is blue in color and has a bitter taste.

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups non-glutinous rice

- 2 abalone

- 1 tbsp sesame oil

- 8 cups water

- 1 tsp clear soy sauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

1. Wash the rice, soak in water for 2 hours, drain for 10 min.

2. Wash and clean the abalone with brush, take out the flesh by spoon, remove the entrails and slice.

3. Preheat the pot and oil with sesame oil, stir-fry rice for 1 min. on medium heat, add abalone, stir-fry together for 2 min.

4. Add water, boil for 6 min. on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium, cover and boil for another 30 min., stirring occasionally.

5. When the porridge is well-done, season with clear soy sauce and salt, and bring to a boil.

Tips
Cooking abalone porridge with abalone entrails, blue in color, may be an another choice.

You could use minced abalone instead of sliced abalone.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Oi-sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi)


Oi-sobagi. (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)
Oi-sobagi is a type of kimchi made with slightly fermented cucumbers that have been slit and stuffed with seasoned Korean leeks. Oi-sobagi may also be served without fermenting.

Ingredients
● 3 ea cucumber (white), 30 g coarse salt

● saltwater: 380 g water, 20 g coarse salt

● 50 g small wild leaks

● 1 tbsp salted shrimp

● seasoning : 2 tbsp minced green onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp ground red pepper, 1 tsp salt

● stuffed cucumber liquid : 3 tbsp water, 1/4 tsp salt

1. Clean the cucumber by rubbing with salt and wash, cut into 6 cm-long pieces, make 3-4 knife slits lengthways, leaving 1 cm at the bottom.

2. Marinate cucumber in salt water for 2 hours, drain for 30 minutes.

3. Trim and wash small wild leaks, slice finely.

4. Mince the salted shrimps.

5. Mix the small wild leaks, salted shrimps and seasoning sauce with hands to make the stuffing, and fill the slits in the cucumber with it.

6. Put the stuffed cucumber into a jar. Mix the stuffed cucumber liquid, pour it into the jar and press the cucumber down.

TipsYoung, straight cucumber is good for this Kimchi.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)