Ogokbap (Five-grain rice)

Published : 2012-11-23 19:22
Updated : 2012-11-23 19:22

Five-grain rice (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Ogokbap is made up of glutinous rice, glutinous African millet, sweet red beans and black beans. From olden days, Koreans have regarded the day of the first full moon of the year as important. People cooked five-grain rice on that day and shared it with neighbors in the hope of peace and a good harvest. 

Ingredients
● 2 cups glutinous rice 

● 1/2 cup black beans

● 1/2 cup glutinous African millet 

● 1/2 cup sweet red beans, 1 1/2 cups scalding water, 2 1/2 cups boiling water

● 1/2 cup glutinous millet 

● Rice water: 1/2 cup sweet red bean-boiled water, 2 1/2 cup cups water, 3/4 tbsp salt 

1. Wash the glutinous rice, soak in water for 30 min. and drain for 10 min.

2. Wash the black beans and soak in water for three hours and drain for 10 min.

3. Wash the glutinous African millet by rubbing until the water runs clear, soak for 1 hour, and drain for 10 min. 

4. Wash the sweet red beans and remove foreign elements, drain for 10 min. 

5. Wash the glutinous millet and drain for 10 min.

6. Put sweet red beans and hot water into the pot, heat up for 2 min. on high heat. When it boils, discard the water. Add fresh water to the sweet red beans, heat for 3 min. on high heat. Lower the heat to medium, boil for 20 min. making sure the beans do not crack, drain with a strainer. Prepare rice cooking water with sweet red beans and boiled water after adding water and salt. 

7. Put the rice, black beans, glutinous African millet, sweet red beans and rice water into the pot. Heat up for 2 min. on high heat. Continue to boil for 3 min., lower the heat to medium, add glutinous millet and boil it for 10 min. When the rice begins to soften, lower the heat and steam for 13 min. Turn the heat off, and let it sit for 10 min. 

8. Mix the rice thoroughly before serving in a bowl. 

Tips
● When cooking five-grain rice in a steaming pot or steamer, sprinkle the sweet red beans in boiled water with salt while steaming.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Drinking tea as a way of life

Tea of the 21st century has gone beyond just boiling tea bags and blending herbs. Today, tea is used a basis to create a wide variety of flavor combinations and creations. 

Mixing a blend of fruits, flowers, vanilla or milk to add flavor and texture to one’s drink is not uncommon. However, tea has opened the doors to even more creative blends and has even given rise to the profession of tea sommeliers. 

For example, some of the hot tea recipes being taught at the Korea Tea Sommelier Institute include apple mint cinnamon tea, which is made by boiling water mixed with mint leaves, crushed cinnamon sticks, apple juice and clear cider (a beverage similar to Coca-Cola’s Sprite soft drink). For a new twist to the traditional winter hot cocoa, there’s a drink that blends rooibos tea leaves with boiling water, milk foam and chocolate powder, topped off with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Then there’s the personal favorite of tea sommelier Shawn Jung: black tea mixed with Irish whiskey and chocolate shavings. 

Tea sommelier Shawn Jung evaluates the taste and aroma of various teas. (Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald)

“Tea is really based on personal taste,” said Jung, who took a serious look into tea as a career path 10 years ago. 

Historically, tea was primarily used for medicinal and healing purposes, according to Jung. 

“It wasn’t until after the eighth century that people starting drinking tea for taste and enjoyment.”

Originating in China, tea has a 5,000-year history. According to Chinese legend, tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shan Nong in 2,737 B.C. The Emperor, who often boiled his drinking water, was in his garden when a few tea leaves accidently fell into his cup of boiling water. After drinking the tea water and feeling refreshed, the emperor had tea bushes planted throughout his palace garden, and the beverage was born.

It was not until the eighth century that tea was introduced to Korea and Japan, and it was only introduced into Western society in the 17th century. 

Healing effects

Each country has a different personality in terms of the tea it produces, depending on the season and origin of the tea leaves. 

“Similar to wine, the flavor and the aroma of tea is very important,” said Jung. He claims that good tea should be judged by its color, clarity, texture, aroma, balance and taste.

However, another key factor that he focuses on aside from the taste and pleasure of drinking tea is the effect that tea has on the human body in terms of health and relaxation. Many tea leaves, especially green tea, contain theanine, an amino acid that has chemical properties that help reduce mental and physical stress. 

“Tea is also being used for its calming effect. Tea is good for you during stressful situations,” he said. “I think drinking tea on a daily basis can really help people a lot.”

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

Bugeo bopuragi, (Seasoned dried pollack flakes)

Bugeo bopuragi (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Bugeo bopuragi is a dish made of grated dried pollack that is colored and seasoned with soy sauce, ground red pepper and salt. Because bugeo bopuragi is soft, it is often served with porridge, and is good for the elderly and children.

Ingredients
● 1 dried pollack (skinned yellowish dried pollack) 

● Seasoning : 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame salt, 1 tsp sesame oil 

● Red pepper seasoning : 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp fine ground red pepper, 1 tsp sesame salt, 1 tsp sesame oil 

● Soy sauce seasoning : 2/3 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame salt, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

1. Remove the head, tail and fins of the dried pollack, dampen slightly with water and take out the bones. 

2. Grate the dried pollack. 

3. Divide pollack flakes into three parts, season each part with the different seasonings (salt, red pepper, and soy sauce) and gently mix using fingertips. 

Tips
● When making a large volume of pollack flakes, use an electric mixer.

● When using an un-spilt pollack, soak it in water. When it is soft enough, pound with a wooden mallet and remove the bones.

● This is a side dish to go with porridge, do not season it too much.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Cooking with bones

Neighborhood children may think of trick-or-treat candy and crunchy leaves in the fall. But for neighborhood cooks, osso buco comes to mind. This is a great time of year to cook with bones. Rich, meaty dishes such as braised short ribs and oxtail soup warm up the kitchen on the chilly nights of November and December.

Bones are scary if you’ve never cooked with them, but once you’ve done it, you’ll see that there is nothing to be afraid of after all.

1. Read your recipe carefully and note how the bones need to be cut. Then, head to the butcher. Most oxtail soup recipes call for lengths of 2 to 3 inches. Sometimes, short ribs are cut into shorter or longer lengths. Unless you have a bone saw in a kitchen drawer, you will want your butcher to do the cutting. Ideally, all pieces should be about the same size, so they cook at the same rate. Bones freeze well, so if you only visit the butcher occasionally you might want to pick up some short ribs along with your veal shanks and freeze them for a cold and rainy day.

2. Do take a few minutes before fixing and forgetting your short ribs, osso buco or oxtail soup to brown the meat. The caramelization that occurs during this extra step will add yet another layer of flavor to your dish.

3. When cooking bones, low and slow in a moist environment is the rule. The collagen that holds together the muscle fibers in the meat surrounding bones is extremely tough. Miraculously, when it is cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees it begins to dissolve, rendering the meat tender. But the only way to get the internal temperature of your meat to 160 without drying it out is to simmer gently in liquid. Eventually, the meat will get hot enough to fall apart, but will also stay moist as it bathes in the sauce as well as its own melted collagen and fat.

To test for doneness, gently insert a sharp paring knife into the meat at a few points. If it slides in very easily, it is done. If the meat is still tough in parts, let it cook another 30 minutes and check again.

4. If you’d like to store your cooked bones overnight before serving, separate the meat and sauce into two containers. Skim the solidified fat from the sauce an hour before you want to eat, transfer the meat on the bone to a baking dish and top with the sauce, cover with heavy duty foil, and reheat at 325 degrees until the meat is warmed through and the sauce is gently bubbling, about 45 minutes.

(MCT Information Services)

Oxtail and barley soup

Oxtail and barley soup
● 2 pounds oxtails, cut into 1-inch pieces, rinsed and patted dry

● Salt

● Ground black pepper

● 1 tablespoon olive oil

● 1 onion, finely chopped

● 2 ribs celery, finely chopped

● 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

● 1 tablespoon tomato paste

● 1 cup red wine

● 10 cups water

● 1 cup pearl barley

● 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

● 1 bay leaf

● 3 sprigs thyme

1. Sprinkle oxtails with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven and brown oxtails on all sides, 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and discard all but 2 tablespoons fat.

2. Add onion, celery and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook another minute. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil and scrape up any browned bits.

3. Return oxtails to pan along with water, bring to a simmer and skim off any foam that rises to surface. Add barley, carrots, bay leaf and thyme, cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and barley are tender, about 1 hour. Remove meat from bones and return to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Beef marrow crostini is made with with gremolata. (Newsday/MCT)

Beef marrow crostini with gremolata

Roasted beef marrow has been described as “meat butter” and “poor man’s foie gras.” These nicknames will give you an idea of how rich and delicious it is. This recipe is the exception to the slow cooking rule. If you roast marrow bones at a high heat for just 20 minutes, the heat will melt the marrow to a spreadable consistency, perfect for spreading onto toasted slices of baguette.

● 1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

● 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

● 2 cloves garlic, peeled, divided

● 4 (3- to 4-inch-long) center-cut beef marrow bones 

● Salt

● Ground black pepper

● 1 teaspoon lemon zest

● 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

● Lemon wedges for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baguette rounds on a baking sheet, lightly brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and bake until light golden, about 12 minutes. Rub lightly with 1 clove garlic and set aside.

2. Turn heat to 450 degrees. Line another baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Place bones on sheet, cut sides up. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until marrow is softened but not yet running out of bones, about 20 minutes.

3. While bones are roasting, combine lemon zest, parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

4. Scoop marrow out of bones and spread onto toasts. Sprinkle with parsley mixture and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Makes 4 appetizer servings.

By Lauren Chattman

(Newsday)

Bossam kimchi (wrapped kimchi)

Published : 2012-11-09 20:04
Updated : 2012-11-09 20:04

Bossam kimchi (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Bossam kimchi is pickled Korean cabbage stuffed with fruit, seafood, mushrooms, vegetables and various garnishes. Bossam kimchi is made by wrapping the stuffed cabbage with cabbage leaves, and it is also called “bokimchi.” It became popular in the Gaeseong area of North Korea, where good quality cabbage was grown in the old days.

Ingredients
● 1 head Korean cabbage, 10 cups water, 350g coarse salt, 

● 1/4 radish, 1/4 pear, 30g mustard leaves, 25g small green onion,

● 30g watercress, 25g green onion 

● Garnish: 2 brown oak mushrooms, 3g stone mushrooms, 2 Chestnuts, 3 jujubes, 2g shredded red pepper, 1 tbsp pine nuts 

● 25g salted shrimp, 25g salted yellow corvena, 1 cup water 

● 50g oysters, 2 cups water, 1/2 tbsp salt

● 80g young octopus, 1 tbsp salt 

● 4 tbsp ground red pepper 

● Seasoning: 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1/2 tsp sugar

● 1 tbsp salt 

1. Trim the bottom and outer leaves of the cabbage, put a deep knife slit lengthwise and split it into two parts by hand. Marinate it in salt water in which half of the coarse salt dissolved, and spread the remaining half of the salt in between the petioles. Let it sit cut side up for 3 hours, and then another 3 hours after turn over. 

2. Rinse the marinated cabbage under running water 3-4 times, drain facing down for 1 hour.

3. Cut the cabbage, radish and pear into one-inch squares. Save outer leaves. Cut the mustard leaves, small green onion, watercress and green onion into 3 cm-long pieces. 

4. Soak the mushrooms in water for 1 hour, remove stems of brown oak mushrooms, wipe dry and shred finely. Remove stems of the stone mushrooms, rub clean and shred into long, fine slivers.

5. Skin the chestnuts and slice finely. Cut the jujube flesh away and shred it in the same way as the brown oak mushrooms. 

6. Cut the shredded red pepper into 2 cm long pieces. Remove tops of pine nuts and wipe clean.

7. Mince the salted shrimps finely.

8. Cut the flesh of the salted yellow corvena, save the heads and bones. 

9. Rinse the oysters in salt water then drain. Rub the young octopus with salt and cut into 3 cm pieces.

10. Place water and the heads and bones of the salted corvena in the pot, boil for 5 min. on medium heat and strain to make corvena liquid.

11. Mix the shredded cabbage and radish with ground red pepper, add the salted shrimp and corvena flesh and seasoning, and mix thoroughly. Add all the prepared vegetables and mix evenly. Add 2/3 of the seafood to it, mix them softly, then season with salt. 

12. Put 3-4 sheets of cabbage outer leaves on the bowl. Heap the mixture on top, place the remaining 1/3 of the seafood and garnish on it. Roll the outer leaves up and wrap them tightly. 

13. Put the wrapped kimchi into a container one by one and press down. Add the boiled corvena liquid into the jar.

Tips
● Discard just a few tough outer leaves from cabbage, and use as many of the remaining leaves as possible.

● This wrapped kimchi has been called “bokimchi” (restorative kimchi), because it wraps all sorts of flavors with marinated cabbage.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Korean sauces steal spotlight at Seoul Gourmet

Top chefs drawn to pickled extract with 120 ingredients at Savor Korea event

Alex Atala, whose Brazil-based restaurant D.O.M. placed fourth on this year’s S. Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sampled Korean pickles and a 120-ingredient fermented extract at Seoul Gourmet’s Savor Korea event Tuesday. 

“All these fermentations and making pickles are something new for me,” said Atala. “This is special for me because the vegetables are very crunchy. The combination of flavors and textures are unbelievable.” 

Michelin-starred chef Thomas Buhner of Germany-based La Vie expressed interest in the 120-ingredient extract and revealed he wanted to try using it as a marinade. 

La Vie’s Thomas Buhner (right), D.O.M.’s Alex Atala (center), and Akelare’s Pedro Subijana sample Korean food at Unhyeon Palace in Seoul on Tuesday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

“It’s a little sweet,” Buhner said of the extract, adding that it possessed fruit-like flavors reminiscent of apples and cherries.

The pickles and extract were all made by food researcher Choi Yeong-suk, who presented the Korean tradition of pickling to participating chefs of the international food festival Seoul Gourmet as part of the Savor Korea event held at Unhyeon Palace in Seoul on Tuesday. 

Choi explained how the extract was made with various roots like mountain yam and ginseng along with fruit from the Chinese matrimony vine and how the pickles were made from raw, not cooked, ingredients, preserving the crunchy textures of the vegetables and roots. 

After tasting the extract, pickled lotus root and chestnuts, Atala told The Korea Herald, “This is something I will try to understand and maybe incorporate into my cuisine.”

Choi was one of six experts presenting key Korean culinary traditions at Tuesday’s event with the aim of giving world-renowned chefs a closer look at hansik and its roots. 

Cuisine researcher Lee Jong-kuk introduced chefs to Korean pastes and sauces, including vinegar made from makgeolli (Korean rice wine). 

“The base of our food is very important,” said Lee as he explained why he focused on soy sauce, fermented soy bean paste and vinegar. 

Korean Traditional Wine Institute head Park Rock-dam and Research Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine director Chung Kil-ja presented fermented wines and palatial food respectively, while Haap owner-chef Sin Yong-il showcased his Korean desserts. 

Chefs were also able to sample omija (Schisandra chinensis) berries from the Hyojongwon Estate. 

“Omija is very delicious,” Buhner said, adding that he liked the sweet and sour flavors of the fruit. 

The Unhyeon Palace event was part the Savor Korea program, which started with a visit to Yangjae-dong’s Hanaro Mart and finished with a trip to Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market. 

The aim of Savor Korea is to give participating chefs an in-depth course on Korean food. Savor Korea is part of a five-day festival where seven prominent culinary masters learn about hansik and incorporate Korean ingredients into their dishes. 

“We will be taking away a lot of good flavors,” said Michelin-starred chef Gennaro Esposito of Italy-based Torre del Saracino. 

The annual festival, now in its fourth year, will run through Nov. 3, with an extended run from Nov. 5 through Nov. 30 for Seoul Gourmet Avenue. 

Participating chefs will be serving special dinners using Korean ingredients at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Westin Chosun, Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, the W Seoul-Walkerhill, Shilla Seoul and the Plaza Hotel through Nov. 2, and will prepare a Grand Gala feast at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Nov. 3. 

Chefs will also be holding master classes from Nov. 1-3 at Sejong University. Five modern Korean restaurants ― including Jungsikdang ― will also be participating in the festival, while 20 to 30 restaurants in Seorae Village will be taking part in a three-week event called Seoul Gourmet Avenue. 

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.seoulgourmet.org. 

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)

Bibimbap (Rice mixed with vegetables and beef)

Updated : 2012-11-02 19:44

Bibimbap (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Bibimbap is a mixed dish of cooked white rice, vegetables, beef, garnishes and stir-fried red pepper paste. It is said that this dish came from the customs of memorial rites and rural villages. This dish is very easy to prepare, just mixing together cooked white rice with various vegetables, namul and red pepper paste.

Ingredients

● 2 1/2 cups non-glutinous rice, 3 cups water

● 300 g young pumpkin, 1/2 tsp salt

● 200 g skinned bellflower roots, 1 tsp salt

● 120 g beef (top round), 200 g soaked bracken

● seasoning sauce : 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp minced green onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil

● 2 eggs

● 3 g kelp, 2 tbsp edible oil

● stir-fried red pepper paste: 5 tbsp red pepper paste, 20 g minced beef, 2 tsp minced green onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 6 tbsp water, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1. Wash the rice, soak in water for 30 minutes, drain.

2. Cut the young pumpkin into matchsticks, season with salt. Slice bellflower roots, add salt and rub them with hands, let sit for 10 min. then rinse and squeeze water out.

3. Clean blood off the top round, cut into strips. Wash the bracken and slice. Season beef and bracken with seasoning sauce.

4. Panfry egg for garnish, slice.

5. Put the rice and water in the pot, heat for 4 min. on high heat. When it boils, continue to boil it for another 4 min. then lower the heat to medium. When the rice become sodden, lower the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.

6. Preheat the frying pan and oil, stir-fry pumpkin on high heat for 30 sec. spread out and cool.

7. Preheat frying pan and oil, stir-fry bellflower roots on medium heat for 5 min.

8. Preheat frying pan and oil, stir-fry beef and bracken respectively on medium heat for 3 min.

9. Pour oil into the pan, oil fry kelp on medium heat for 10 sec. Keep pieces large.

10. Put the minced beef, green onion, garlic and half of the sesame oil in the pot, stir-fry them on medium heat for 2 min. Add red pepper paste, sugar and sesame oil, stir-fry for 5 min. Add water into it, stir-fry for another 3 min. to make fried red pepper paste (167 g).

11. Serve steamed rice with prepared ingredients and red pepper paste on top.

Tips
● If the rice boils over, open the lid quickly and close again.

● The rice should be neither too hard nor too watery.

● When preparing stir-fried red pepper paste with home-made red pepper paste, add a little more sugar.

● Stir-fried red pepper paste may be adjusted to taste.