Stir fried webfoot octopus + pork belly~ Jjukkumi Samgyeopsal 쭈꾸미삼겹살볶음

October 2024. 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

September 2024. 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.

마지막 생일상 Last Korean Birthday Meal

May 2021. 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. However, this is my last time preparing a Korean birthday meal. 

접는김밥~ Quick & Easy Folded Kimbap

March 2021. 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 doesn't looks tidy here but trust me, it's yummy! 

Korean Steamed Pear~ Bae Suk 배숙

October 2018. Found this Bae-suk recipe online when I was looking for Korean home remedy for husband who had cough & flu. Husband dislike to see a doctor or take medicine whenever he is feeling not well so I often look for Korean food or home remedy that can help in fast recovery. Turns out it works like a charm and he recovered very quick after consume the baesuk. Same goes to my Korean Chief who also coughing badly, almost instantly relief from cough (cough lesser) after he consume the baesuk that I made and brough to office for him. And I no longer hear him cough the next day. 

What is Bae-Suk?

Bae-suk 배숙, means cooked pear, where "bae" is pear and "suk" is cooked. It is made with pear, honey, ginger, pepercorns, jujubes and pine nut (optional). Pear helps with digestion, coughs & sore throats, while ginger has warming & soothing effect. Therefore it can relief cough and cold related symptoms! It's similar to Chinese cough remedy - steamed pear with rock sugar (冰糖雪梨).

There are 2 methods of making baesuk :

1) 배꿀찜 Bae-kkul-jjim
Steam the pear in whole (which I am sharing with you here).
Ingredients : Pear, honey, ginger, jujube, pine nuts

2) 향설고 Hyang-sol-go
Cut the peeled pear into pieces, simmering until tender.
Ingredients : Pear, honey, ginger, peppercorns, pine nuts

The different is method of cooking, and also jujube or peppercorns are use here as different method. Bae-suk can be eat as dessert when you don't have cough or flu.



Ingredients (1 Serving)

1 Korean Singo Pear 
1 Tsp - Grated ginger 
2 Tbsp - Honey

3 Jujube (or Chinese Dates) 

*If you can't find Korean Singo Pear, you may use Chinese pear or bosc pear.

How to cook :

Step 1
Slice off top 1/5 of the pear to make a bowl and a lid.

Step 2

Remove the core using a tea spoon or fruit baller to make a pear bowl. Beware not to remove too much of flesh of the pear or dig too deep. Too thin may cause the pear bowl collapse as pear will turn soft during steaming process While too deep, there might a hole at the bottom that may not able to locked the honey and grated ginger inside the peal bowl during the steaming process. 

Step 3
Fill the pear bowl with 1 teaspoon of grated ginger as base.

Step 4
Top with 2-3 jujubes (or Chinese red dates) - either sliced or in whole.

Step 5
Fill in about 1-2 tablespoon honey, enough to cover up the pear bowl but not overflow.

Step 6

Cover up with the lid, place in a bowl and put it into a steamer. Steam for at least 45mins to one hour on medium high heat until the pear turn soft and it is done.

It can be consume when it is hot (if you have flu or cough) or served cold (as dessert). Just chill it at refrigerator and it can be a nice and sweet dessert to smooth your throat.