Stir fried webfoot octopus + pork belly~ Jjukkumi Samgyeopsal 쭈꾸미삼겹살볶음

Saw these frozen Jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) selling in NH mart. Since I just bought gochugaru last week to cook Saengseon Jjim (I rarely cook Korean food nowadays, was thinking of cook more korean food with the gochugaru to finish it); also thought of the Pan grilled Jjukkumi from Busanzip, Desa Sri Hartamas which I initially keen to try but later when I find out that they are pork free (meaning to say they don't serve Jjuk-sam) so plan is halt. So, I decided to buy the Jjukumi together with pork belly, spring onions and perilla leaves from NH Mart and cook Jjuksam (Jjukkumi Samgyeopsal) at home.

Ingredients (2 servings)

400gram Jjukkumi 

200gram Pork belly 

Half Carrot (cut into half month shape)

Half Yellow onion (thinly slice)

6 stalks of Spring onion (cut into finger length)

6 gloves of Garlic (to mince)

Lettuce & perilla leave for the wrap

To make seasoning sauce:

2 tablespoon Gochujang 

3 tablespoon Gochugaru 

4 tablespoon Soy sauce  

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 tablespoon Sugar  

1 tablespoon corn syrup (I use honey) 

1 tablespoon of rice wine 

How to Cook:

Step 1

Clean the jjukkumi - cut and open the head of jjukkumi to remove the intestines and squeeze out the beak from the bottom (middle of all legs). The jjukkumi I got from the mart is already clean up so I just need to thaw it and clean them well with flour.

Step 2

Blanch the octopus - when the water start boiling, blanch the octopus for 30 seconds by adding 1-2 tablespoon of cooking wine to the boiling water. Remove it after 30 seconds and rinse with cold water and set aside. Do not overcook it as the octopus meat will turn hard.

Step 3

Prepare the vegetables and pork belly - thinly slice the yellow onions and carrots (half moon shape); cut the spring onions to finger length; chop one stalk of spring onion and one red chili pepper for garnish; minced 4 gloves of garlic for making seasoning sauce use; and cut the pork belly to desire size .**I cut the pork belly to 4cm width (which is about the width of 2 and half fingers when combine together) as I like bigger cuts.**

Step 4

Make seasoning sauce - Gochujang 2 tablespoon, Gochugaru 3 tablespoon, Soy sauce 4 tablespoon, Minced garlic 1 tablespoon (I use more here), Sugar 1 tablespoon, Corn syrup 1 tablespoon (I use honey), Rice wine 1 tablespoon, mix well. 

Step 5

Start cooking by grilled the pork belly on medium fire on pan until both side is cook. It takes about 1 minute for 1 side. No oil needed as the pork belly will release oil from it's fat during the grilling process.

Step 6

When the pork belly is done, add in the yellow onions, carrots and spring onions and stir fry for 1-2 minute until it is soften.

Step 7
Add in half of the seasoning sauce and continue stir fry for 1 minutes until the pork belly and veggies well coated with the seasoning sauce.

Step 8

Add in the parboil jjukkumi and the remaining half of the seasoning sauce, stir fry for another 1 minute until all mix well.

Step 9

Add in the chopped chili peppers and green onions and stir fry for a few seconds then you may off the fire.

Step 10
After off the fire and add in a tablespoon of sesame oil, mix well and it is ready for serve in plate.

I like to have it with wrap as usual, so lettuce and perilla leaves is a must have for me for this dish. The recipe is meant for 2 servings, if eat it with wrap it is just nice for 2 pax. Remember to keep some leftover to make bokkumbap (fried rice) with add in some sesame oil and shredded Korean seaweed at the end of the cooking! 

Spicy Braised Fish with Radish~ Saengseon Jorim 생선조림

Bought a Siakap (Barramundi) but don't feel like cook it in the same old way (Cantonese steamed), so I cook it in Korean way this time~ Saengseon Jorim. To cook this dish, I bought a pack of Gochugaru as I don't have it at home. I have not cook Korean dish for a long time, most of the basic Korean condiments at home is not restock after use up. Looks like I need to cook more Korean dish after this (because of the Gochugaru lol). Normally Korean use mackerel or hairtail for Saengseon Jorim however any fish can be use especially white fish. I am keeping a record of my cooking this time since it is my first time making it. 

Ingredients:

1 whole Fish (cut into 2 pieces) 

Half Radish (cut into moon shape - thickness 1.5cm)

Half Yellow onion (thinly slice)

1-2 stalk Spring onion or Leek (cut into finger length)

1-2 Chili Pepper (thinly slice)

2 cups of anchovy broth (can use rice water or plain water)

For the Braising sauce:

1 tablespoon Gochujang

2 tablespoon Gochugaru

3 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Minced Garlic

2 tablespoon Rice wine

1 teaspoon dwenjang (optional) 

How to Cook:

Step 1

Place the cut radish as a base layer, follow by the fish pieces on top of radish. Spread half of the braised sauce all over the fish meat, then add in the chopped leek and onion slices.

Step 2

Pour in 2 cups of anchovy broth, it should be enough to cover the radish and at least half of the fish. Bring it to boil. 

Step 3

Once it is boil, use a spoon to scope the boiling broth and pour it on the seasoning sauce so it can blend in with the broth.

Step 4

Turn the fire to low, let it simmer with lid for 15 mins. 

Step 5

15 minutes later the broth should reduce and thickened. Spread the remaining braising sauce on the fish meat and let it continue to simmer for another 5 minutes without lid this time.

Step 6

While simmer, pull out one the radish cut from the base, it should be able to poke thru by the chopstick. Use a spoon to scoop some of the broth to dilute the remaining sauce until the broth become thick and it is done~

Step 7

Garnish with red chili pepper and chopped leaks, it is ready to serve. Braised fish goes well with rice~ and it's one of the "rice thief" dish that I like! It is easy to make than I expect, now I can make it whenever I feel like craving it.

Last Korean Birthday Meal 마지막 생일상

Just like previous years, I prepared Korean birthday meal for him on his actual birthday. Miyeok-guk which is a must on birthday morning, japchae for longevity, grilled mackerel, siguemchi namul and grapes. But, this will be my last time preparing a Korean birthday meal. 

Quick & Easy Folded Kimbap 접는김밥

This foldable kimbap is very popular in Korea lately. It's indeed the most easiest way to make kimbab in in Korean sandwich toast way! It's not easy to make kimbab (Korean rice roll) for some people as it might not roll and seal properly, also the rice might fall apart if the rice is not sticky enough and etc. There is no fix ingredient for the foldable kimbap. You can use any ingredient you like. Today I am trying to make one with the most common and popular ingredients, and off course I success in one try.

Ingredient:
Gim (Seaweed Sheets for kimbap use type)

Cooked rice (no seasoning required)

Korean spam cut in slices
Sautee kimchi with sesame oil

Fried eggs 

Mayonnaise

How to make:

Step 1.

Cook rice! While waiting for rice cook, start to make fried eggs, On the same pan, pan fried spam slices with the leftover oil from fried eggs earlier. Then only sautee the kimchi with a little bit of sesame until kimchi is cook.  







Step 2

Take out a piece of gim gentle fold it into 4x4 size (in square) to left a mark on the gim. This will helps in cutting the gim exactly in the middle line to the middle point like picture below.

  

Step 3

Place all the ingredients as follow. Top left:- Rice and sautee kimchi on top of it. Top right:- Spam with some mayonnaise topping. Bottom left will be empty and Bottom right:- Fried eggs. 

Step 4. 

Start folding the kimbap from flip the bottom left up to cover the top left. 

Then, flip the left hand side over to the right hand side (Top right).

Then combine the top and bottom and it is done! It's doesnt looks tidy here but trust me, it's yummy! 

Baek Jong Won's Pork Belly Kimchi Jiggae ~ 집밥 백선생 : 돼지고기 김치찌개

Finally back to my kitchen after almost 1 month break from adjusting period due to change of new job. My new job allows me to leave office on time and I am able to reach home before 7 pm. I go for those quick and easy ready recipe especially jiggae (stew) or guk (soup) so I could fix a quick meal within half an hour. I have this Baek Jong Won quick & easy Kimchi Jiggae recipe from 집밥 백선생 for more than 2 years. I've modified the recipe a little according what I have in my kitchen (the condiments for cooking). I've wrote down the changes as additional info in the last paragraph for reference.

 

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

Cut Kimchi - 1 cup

Pork belly - 1/2 cup

1/4 yellow onion - thinly sliced

1 red chili pepper - thinly slice

1 stalk of green onions - thinly chopped

Dwenjang - 1/4 Tablespoon

Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon

Soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon

Red chili pepper flakes 1 Tablespoon

Kimchi Juice - 2 tablespoons

How to Cook:

Step 1.

Cut the pork belly into strips, marinade the pork belly strips with one tablespoon of mirin and few pinch of black pepper - set aside for 15 mins. This step can help to remove foul smell from the pork.

Step 2.

In a pot, pour in 3.5 cups of water (or water from from rinse rice which I am using here), put in the pork belly and 1/4 tablespoon of dwenjang and bring to boil. Let it boil for around 7 minutes. Dwenjang play an important role here to make the broth and meat taste unique. Remove the white foam on top of the broth occasionally until the surface is clear.

Step 3.
After 7 minutes, add in 1 cup of kimchi, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sliced yellow onions, mix well and boiled for another 7 minutes until the kimchi, pork and sliced yellow onions looks soften.

Step 4. 

Add in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, red chili pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of kimchi juice. Boiled for another 3-4 minutes. 

Step 5.

Top with chopped spring onion and red chili pepper, boil for another additional 1-2 minutes then it is done! Easy and fast ready isn't it? taste is guarantee too! 

Alternatively, you could also place the all ingredient in a pot, pour in 3.5 cups of water to cover it, bring to boil for 10 minutes until it is cooked. I never did that but someone else who try this method before say it is not much different from cooking steps by steps.

In Baek Jong Won's recipe, the pork and kimchi ratio is 1:3 (1 cup of meat to 3 cups of kimchi); I prefer more meat in my kimchi jiggae so my version is 1:2 (1 cup of meat to 2 cups of kimchi). Water is standard 3 cups (700ml) for 2-3 serving size. 

Also, Baek Jong Won use guk-ganjang (Korean soy sauce for soup) and salted fermented shrimp (Saeujeot) for seasoning which I find it a little too salty so I replace it with normal soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of kimchi juice. Hope this additional info helps you understand better in how to make kimchi jiggae fast and easy yet tasty!