Myeolchi bokkeum (stir-fried dried anchovies)

Myeolchi bokkeum (stir-fried dried anchovies) (Korean Bapsang)

These stir-fried dried anchovies (myulchi/myeolchi) are a popular side dish. Dried anchovies are a staple in Korean kitchens. Medium-sized to large anchovies are primarily used to make stock, while smaller ones are used to make a variety of side dishes. Because they are an excellent source of calcium, Korean moms encourage their kids to eat more anchovies. 

The dried anchovies are first stir-fried in a little bit of oil, and then mixed into a slightly thickened sweet and savory sauce. I added a small amount of gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) in this recipe for a spicy kick. Dried anchovies are naturally salty, so don’t over-season them. 

Ingredients:

- 1 cup small size dried mulchi (anchovies)

- 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

- 2-3 green chili peppers, cut into small pieces 

- 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirim)

- 3 tablespoons water

- 2 teaspoons sugar

- 2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)

- 2 teaspoons corn syrup 

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Heat a pan with the oil over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a plate. 

Add the soy sauce, rice wine, water, sugar, gochujang, corn syrup and garlic to the pan. Stir the sauce well to dissolve the gochujang. Turn the heat back on. Boil the sauce over medium heat until it bubbles and slightly thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the anchovies and the chili peppers to the pan. Stir until the anchovies are evenly coated with the sauce. Stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds at the end.

Chew on this: ‘Sweet Potatoes’ author debunks yam myths

Hillsborough, North Carolina, cookbook author April McGreger wants to settle the confusion about yams and sweet potatoes.

First, McGreger says, they are not the same vegetable. Sweet potatoes are grown in the U.S. Yams are a tropical plant, grown in Africa and Asia, and they look much different from sweet potatoes.

“Unless it’s buff-colored, the size of a football and hairy, it is a sweet potato,” said McGreger, who has just published her first cookbook, “Sweet Potatoes,” part of the UNC-Press Savor the South cookbook series.

McGreger, 38, knows her sweet potatoes. She grew up in Vardaman, Mississippi, self-described Sweet Potato Capital of the United States. (Take that North Carolina!) She was never crowned Miss Sweet Potato, but her brother and father are or have been sweet potato farmers. (Triangle residents may know McGreger for her artisan pickles and preserves sold under the Farmer’s Daughter Brand at local farmers markets and stores.)

April McGreger of Farmer’s Daughter taste tests a batch of orange marmalade to see if it is ready to be jarred at her Hillsborough, North Carolina, home. (Tribune Content Agency)

So why do folks get yams and sweet potatoes mixed up? “Yam is a vernacular term for sweet potato,” McGreger said.

When West Africans were forced into slavery and brought to the U.S., they were familiar with yams, and sweet potatoes were the only comparable substitute in the New World. Hence, sweet potatoes became called by the same name.

The yam misnomer became further entrenched in the 1930s when the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed Louisiana farmers to market their sweet potatoes as yams.

With sweet potato casseroles and pies enjoyed on Thanksgiving tables, McGreger wants home cooks to know that sweet potatoes lend themselves to savory dishes as well. “Anything you can make with potatoes, you can make with sweet potatoes,” she said.

Try sweet potato latkes, sweet potato hash browns or even sweet potato fries, she suggested. Among the 50 recipes in her cookbook are roasted sweet potato with crispy kale, sweet potato chile rellenos and sweet potato hummus.

Here‘s one key tip from McGreger: Buy dirty sweet potatoes. Unwashed, cured sweet potatoes, which are more likely to be found at local farmers markets, will keep for months in a cool, dark place that doesn’t get below 55 degrees. But those washed sweet potatoes sold at the grocery store will only last a few weeks.


Roasted sweet potatoes and crispy kale

From “Sweet Potatoes: A Savor the South Cookbook,” by April McGreger (UNC Press, 2014).

● 3 medium sweet potatoes, about 700 grams, preferably slender, unpeeled and scrubbed

● 4 shallots, sliced in half lengthwise

● 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

● 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

● 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

● Big pinch of cumin

● Pinch of cinnamon

● Pinch of crushed red pepper

● 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

● 1 teaspoon brown sugar

● 1 bunch of curly or red Russian kale, washed and torn into 5-8 cm pieces, thick stems discarded

● 2 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise

● Lemon wedges

● Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. With a chef’s knife (large), slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and cut each half in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into wedges 5-10 cm long and about 2 cm thick. Try to keep the thickness fairly uniform.

Place sweet potatoes in a medium bowl with shallots and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, vinegar and brown sugar.

Spread wedges out on the baking sheet and roast until the larger pieces are tender when pierced with a sharp paring knife, about 35 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip any that are getting too brown on the edges.

While sweet potatoes are cooking, place kale in the same bowl the sweet potatoes were in, along with sliced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Do not toss yet.

When sweet potatoes are tender, remove baking sheet from the oven and turn oven temperature to 150 C.

Toss kale mixture with oil left in the bowl from sweet potatoes, adding another teaspoon if necessary to coat evenly. Spread kale out over the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake until kale is crisp, another 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot, warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

(Tribune Content Agency)

Dak galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken)

Dak galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) (Korean Bapsang)

Dak galbi is very popular all over Korea, especially in Chuncheon, a city in Gangwon Province, where the dish originated in the 1960’s. It is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish made with boneless chicken pieces, rice cakes (tteokbokki tteok), green cabbage, sweet potato and other vegetables. Dak means chicken, and galbi means ribs. But, there are no ribs in this dish. Back in the day, pork ribs (dweji galbi) were too expensive for everyday grilling, so a restaurant cook created a similarly flavored dish with chicken instead and called it dak galbi.

The sauce for dak galbi is made with staple Korean ingredients, such as gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), gochujang (red chili pepper paste), garlic, ginger, etc. It sometimes contains Korean curry powder, which is a premade mixture. Dak galbi is typically not served with rice, but it’s customary to mix some rice into the leftovers at the end to make fried rice. 

This popular restaurant dish is easy to make at home. You can double the sauce recipe and keep the other half in the fridge. You will definitely want to make it again soon.

3 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

● 450 grams boneless (and skinless if desired) chicken thighs

● 170 grams tteokbokki tteok (rice cakes)

● 140 grams green cabbage

● 1 small Korean sweet potato (goguma; about 5 ounces)

● 6-8 kkaennip (perilla leaves)

● 2 scallions

Sauce:
● 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)

● 1 tablespoon sugar

● 1 to 2 teaspoons Korean curry powder (optional)

● 1/2 teaspoon salt

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 2 tablespoons rice wine

● 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup (or more sugar)

● 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)

● 1 tablespoon minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon grated ginger

● 2 teaspoons sesame oil

● 2 tablespoons water

Optional fried rice:
● Two servings of cooked rice

● 1 tablespoon dak galbi sauce

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● 1 sheet of gim (dried seaweed)

Soak the rice cakes in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes if hardened. Skip if using fresh rice cakes.

Mix all the sauce ingredients well in a bowl.

Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Mix with the sauce (reserving 1 tablespoon if you’re going to make fried rice at the end) and marinate while preparing vegetables.

Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise and slightly diagonally. Cut the cabbage, kkaennip and scallion into small pieces.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. You can add a tablespoon of oil if you want, but this is not necessary. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, rice cakes and cabbages. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if the ingredients (especially the rice cakes) stick to the pan. The steam from the vegetables should keep them from sticking to the pan, but you can also add a couple spoons of water if the pan gets too dry. 

Add the kkaennip and scallion and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the rice cake and the sweet potato pieces turn soft. By then the chicken should be cooked through.

Optional Fried Rice:

Add the rice to the pan along with the leftover sauce and sesame oil. Stir constantly until everything is well incorporated and the clumped up rice is broken up, about 5 minutes. Scrape up the flavorful brown bits from the pan while stirring. Mix in the dried seaweed and sesame oil. 

Thanksgiving dinners and desserts in Seoul Where to go for turkey, pumpkin pie and more

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. 

For those who do not have the time to roast a turkey at home, here are several options for one to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, pumpkin pie and all the fixings. 


Dinner specials

Left Coast Artisan Burgers
On Thanksgiving Day, Left Coast Artisan Burgers, a popular burger spot located in Seoul’s Itaewon-dong, will be hosting its second annual Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet. 

The buffet will feature turkey, ham, mushroom herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, cornbread and more. 

According to Left Coast co-owner Angela Shin, more sides have been added to the menu this time around, which will include apple crumb pie for dessert. The buffet will be an all-you-can-eat affair. 

Reservations are a must with times running from 5-7 p.m., 7-9 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. for Nov. 27. The buffet costs 35,000 won per person and 20,000 won for children aged 12 and under. 

To make reservations call (02) 6223-5338, email leftcoastkorea@gmail.com or visit Left Coast’s official Facebook page. 

Left Coast Artisan Burgers; 2F, 130-43 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul


The Beastro

The Beastro, a Hongdae-based restaurant that specializes in “New American” cuisine, will be featuring a special set dinner menu that will include turkey and sides from Nov. 27 to 30. 

The Beastro general manager Catherine Chung divulged plans to serve “turkey with a twist” as part of a menu has been posted on its official Facebook page. The Beastro will also be whipping up seasonal cocktails, said Chung. 

The Beastro; 2F, 358-32 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul; (02) 334-2500; opening hours are weekdays from 5:30-11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.


The Paris Grill
The Paris Grill, located at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, will be serving a four-course Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 27. 

The menu will feature a variety of dishes including slow-roasted turkey with bacon, apple and walnut stuffing and pumpkin creme brulee. 

The dinner will cost 116,000 won. For more information call (02) 799-8161. 

Grand Hyatt Seoul; 322 Sowolno, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; seoul.grand.hyattrestaurants.com


Dinner to-go

Vecchia e Nuovo
Vecchia e Nuovo, a bistro located inside the Westin Chosun Seoul, will be selling takeaway roast turkey, prime rib, sides and pumpkin, pecan and apple pies until Dec. 31. 

The roast turkey comes with chestnut stuffing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts for 275,000 won for a 13 pound and 297,000 won for a 15 pound turkey. 

Orders need to be made at least three days in advance and can be delivered for an additional fee. For more information call (02) 317-0033. 

The Westin Chosun Seoul; 106, Sogongno, Jung-gu, Seoul; www.echosunhotel.com


The Deli

The Grand Hyatt Seoul’s the Deli will be serving Thanksgiving fare to-go, including roast turkey, apple-walnut stuffing and mashed potatoes till Nov. 28. Prices range from 22,000 won to 212,000 won. Also, starting today, the Deli will be selling pumpkin pie, apple pie and pecan pie until Nov. 30. For more information call (02) 799-8167. 

Grand Hyatt Seoul; 322 Sowolno, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; seoul.grand.hyattrestaurants.com


The Deli Shop

From Nov. 20 to Dec. 26, the JW Marriott Seoul’s Deli Shop will also be selling takeaway roast turkey dinners. 

Dinner includes a 5 to 6 kilogram turkey with mashed potatoes, roast pumpkin, brussel sprouts, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and beans for 160,000 won. Turkey dinner sets need to be ordered a day in advance.

For more information call (02) 6282-6737. 

JW Marriott Seoul; 176, Sinbanpono, Seocho-gu, Seoul; www.jw-marriott.co.kr

The Ritz Deli

The Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s Ritz Deli will be selling takeaway Thanksgiving dinners featuring roast turkey, sides that include sage cornbread and apple stuffing along with one’s choice of pumpkin, sweet potato or potato pie. 

Dinners cost 300,000 won for a whole turkey and 200,000 won for a half turkey and will be available through Nov. 30. Orders must be placed at least three days in advance. For more information call (02) 3451-8278. 

The Ritz-Carlton Seoul; 120 Bongeunsano, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; www.ritzcarltonseoul.com

The Grand Hilton Seoul’s Alpine Deli turkey dinner to-go to be sold until Dec. 31 (Grand Hilton Seoul)

Alpine Deli
The Grand Hilton Seoul’s Alpine Deli will also be selling takeaway turkey dinner sets for 200,000 won to 250,000 won until Dec. 31. For more information call (02) 2287-8989. 

Grand Hilton Seoul; 353 Yeonhuino, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul; www.grandhiltonseoul.com


Desserts

Bewitch
Bewitch, a dessert bar located in Seorae Village, is serving pumpkin pie. Owner-chef Shin Ji-min divulged that she makes her pie with fresh roasted pumpkin and molasses. 

Pies cost 9,500 won by the slice or 85,000 won whole. Orders for whole pies need to be made three days in advance. 

Bewitch; 76-10 Banpo 4-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul; (02) 3445-0529; open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, closed Sundays


Canvas Cake

Canvas Cake, a dessert shop in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, will be selling pumpkin tarts and pumpkin cheesecake from Nov. 24 to 29. 

Pastry chef Choi Yoon-young revealed that instead of pumpkin, she will be using roasted kabocha squash. Her pumpkin cheesecake, she further divulged, will feature a pecan shortbread crust.

Pumpkin tarts cost 7,000 won by the slice and 65,000 won whole, pumpkin cheesecake costs 9,000 won by the slice and 70,000 won whole. Whole tarts and cakes need to be ordered three days in advance. 

Canvas Cake; 113-13, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; (02) 548-3374; open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, closed Sundays

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)

Baek kimchi (white kimchi)

Updated : 2014-11-14 20:58

Baek kimchi (white kimchi) (Korean Bapsang)

Baek kimchi is a variety of kimchi that’s made without red chili pepper flakes. It is enjoyed for its mild, refreshing taste. Baek kimchi is child-friendly and great for people who have issues with spicy food!

The stuffing for white kimchi varies but usually includes typical kimchi ingredients such as radish, garlic, ginger, scallion, minari, pear, etc. I like to add colorful bell peppers, which are called paprika in Korea, for sweetness and additional colors. Traditionally, other ingredients such as pine nuts, jujubes and chestnuts are added. The brine can be simply water and salt or flavored with grated pear, garlic, ginger or salted shrimp. In this recipe I added sweet rice (aka glutinous rice) powder paste. The rice paste promotes fermentation by feeding healthy bacteria and helps develop the flavors of kimchi.

Ingredients:

● 2 medium napa cabbages (about 2 kilograms each)

● 1 1/2 cups Korean coarse sea salt

● 7 1/2 cups water

Stuffing:

● 1 pound Korean radish (mu)

● 1/2 red bell pepper

● 1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper

● 1/2 large Korean pear

● 3-4 scallions

● 30 grams water dropwort (minari)

● 1 tablespoon pine nuts

● 4 to 5 chestnuts

● 4 to 5 jujubes (daechu), seeded

● 1/4 cup salted shrimp (saeujeot), finely minced

● 1 tablespoon myeolchiaekjeot (fish sauce)

● 2 tablespoons minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon grated ginger

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Brine:

● 1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder* (*Mix with 1/2 cup water, simmer over low heat until it thickens to a thin paste and cool. Yields about 3-4 tablespoons.)

● 4 cups water

● Salt to taste (start with 2 teaspoons)

Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters by cutting the stem end in half (only about 4 inches in) and then slowly pulling apart to separate into two pieces by hand. Do the same for each half to make quarters. Running the knife through all the way would unnecessarily cut off the cabbage leaves.

In a large bowl, dissolve 3/4 cup of salt in 7 1/2 cups of water. Thoroughly bathe each cabbage quarter in the salt water one at a time, shake off excess water back into the bowl, and then transfer to another bowl.

Using the remaining salt (3/4 cup) and starting from the outermost leaf, generously sprinkle salt over the thick white part of each leaf (similar to salting a piece of meat). You can use a little more if needed. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage quarters. Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbages. Set aside for about 6-8 hours, rotating the bottom ones to the top halfway through.

The cabbages for white kimchi should be ready to be washed when the white parts are soft and flexible, but not totally bendable. Rinse thoroughly three times, especially between the white parts of the leaves to wash off any lingering salt. Drain well, cut side down.

Cut the vegetables and pear into matchstick-size, collecting them in a bowl. Thinly slice the chestnuts and jujubes. Cut scallions and minari into 1-inch long pieces.

Combine the vegetables with the seasoning ingredients. Mix well by hand. Taste ― it should be a bit too salty to eat as is. Add salt if necessary. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves together. Place one cabbage quarter in the bowl with the radish mix. Spread the radish mix over each leaf, 1 to 2 tablespoons for large leaves.

Fold the leaf part of the cabbage over toward the stem and nicely wrap with the outermost leaf before placing it, cut side up, in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with the remaining cabbages. Once all the cabbages are in the jar or airtight container, firmly press down to remove air pockets.

Make the glutinous rice paste and cool. Add 4 cup of water to the bowl that contained the radish mix. Stir in the rice paste and salt to taste (start with 2 teaspoons). Stir well. Pour over the kimchi.

Leave it out at room temperature for a full day. Then, store in the fridge. Wait 5 to 7 days before eating. White kimchi doesn’t keep well as long as red spicy kimchi because it’s seasoned lightly and lacks chili peppers, which help keep the kimchi from softening. Thus, it’s best eaten within a few weeks.