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Seafood

Korean Mussel Soup – Light and Refreshing

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Korean Mussel Soup. Who doesn’t like mussels? It’s light on the stomach and fun to pick at. Perfect for your next Netflix binge. Today, I will show you how to prep mussels the Korean way.

Korean-Mussel-Soup
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Korean Mussel Soup is a very popular type of anju (bar foods) in Seoul. When drinking soju, taking a sip of the mussel soup works well as a chaser. It’s often the first thing that many people order, alongside a few other anju banchans.

One of my favorite dining bars in Seoul also provide a few packets of Spicy Shin Ramen. They use the leftover broth from the mussel soup, throw in the noodles, and instantly make a bowl of spicy seafood ramen. It’s my favorite part! The mussel broth adds a nice layer of umami to the ramen. A few slurps of this spicy ramen and the whole table regains enough energy… for another round of soju 🙂

건배 ya’ll!

Korean Mussel Soup
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Korean Mussel Soup - Killer Broth!

Today, we boil fresh mussels and use its natural flavors to make a light and refreshing broth. Perfect for a light meal. Right before a Netflix binge session!
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Fresh Mussels - 1 kg Ok to use less, 500-600 grams
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Spring onion - 1 stalk forearm piece
  • Korean chili pepper - 1 whole if using Jalapeno, use 1/2 a whole
  • Water - reference notes
  • Salt - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Mussel Prep

  • Give your mussels a thorough wash under cold water. Then take a quick inspection: Fresh mussels should be tightly closed OR they should close when you tap them. Throw out the shells that are wide-open or unresponsive.
  • Then pull the "beards" off each mussel. (Some may not have one.) If you see barnacles or other debris on the shell, use another shell to scrape it off. 
  • Give the shells a final rinse under cold water.

Make Pot

  • Use a large frying pan with high walls or a wide pot. Place cleaned mussels in. Then pour enough water to almost submerge the mussels (reference video).
  • Cut the 1/2 onion in half again. Then chop the spring onion stalk in half. Use a knife to split the chili pepper. Place all of them into the pot.
  • Put the pot on high heat and bring it up to a boil.
  • Once pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to a medium-high. Add in minced garlic and salt. (Note: You will see alot of foam on the surface. No need to skim that off - it will disappear by itself soon)
  • Once most of the foam disappears, the soup and mussels should be ready to eat. Turn off heat. 
  • Garnish pot with a few slices of spring onion and chili peppers. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you want to make ramen, save some of the broth: ~2 cups of broth for every package of ramen.
  • For Korean ramen, I would recommend Nongshim Shin Ramen or Neoguri Ramen
  • Reference the video below for more details

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Spicy Korean Sea Snail Salad – Dining Bar Speciality

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Spicy Korean Sea Snail Salad. What kind of snails are those?! And what does it taste like?
Spicy Korean Sea Snail SaladSkip to Recipe

We are using Sea Whelks. It’s rarely served in Western cuisine. But in Asia, it is quite popular. For example, in Japan, it is served as sushi – blanched, thinly sliced and served on top of rice. In Vietnam, it is served as a topping in a noodle broth (Bún ốc). Here in Korea, it’s dressed in a spicy gochujang sauce and tossed with fresh vegetables – like a salad. This dish is a type of Korean bar food called anju.

So if you are feeling adventurous one weekend, try visiting a Korean mart and buying a can of sea whelks. It’s simple, delicious and bit addictive. Oh… and don’t forget to pour yourself a nice cold glass of beer! Cheers!

Spicy Korean Sea Snail Salad
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Spicy Korean Sea Snail Salad - Korean Anju

This is a very popular dish at Korean sooljibs (Dining Bars). Sea whelks are diced up and tossed with fresh vegetables in a tangy gochujang sauce. Goes perfectly with a beer!
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Sea whelks golbaengi - 1 can
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Carrot - 1 whole length of your hand
  • Cucumber - 1 whole forearm-length
  • Perilla leaves - 12 leaves
  • Spring onion - 1 stalk forearm-length
  • Purple cabbage - 1 4 leaves, palm-sized

Gochujang Sauce

  • Gochujang Korean red chili pepper paste - 1/4 cup
  • Sugar - 1/4 cup
  • Vinegar - 1/4 cup
  • Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sea whelk juice - 2 Tablespoon optional
  • Gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes - 1 Tablespoon

Noodle

  • Somyeon Thin wheat flour noodles - 2 quarter-sized bundles
  • Soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds - 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Open can and empty out sea whelks. Save some of the juice for the dressing sauce. Dice each sea whelk into smaller bite-sized pieces.
  • Cut onion, spring onion and red cabbage into thin slices. Cut cucumber and carrot into thin half-circle pieces. Take stems off of the perilla leaves. Then roll them and cut into thin slices.

Make Gochujang Sauce

  • Take out a mixing bowl. Place-in gochujang, vinegar and sugar and mix it thoroughly.
  • Put in minced garlic. Also put in some sea whelk juice (optional)

Make Noodles

  • Bring a pot of water up to boil. Place noodles in. Wait until the pot starts to foam-up to the surface. Then pour a little bit of cold water into the pot to make the foam settle down. Repeat this process 3x. After the 3rd time, check to see that noodles are fully cooked. Then pour-out noodles into the sink. Wash noodles under cold water. Then set aside in a strainer and drain-off excess water.
  • Place noodles into a mixing bowl. Place-in soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds in the noodles. Give it a thorough mix.

Make Salad and Plate

  • Take out another mixing bowl. Put in all of the chopped vegetables and sea whelks.
  • Pour-in 3/4 of the gochujang sauce into the bowl (add more if you like). Then coat everything thoroughly with your hand.
  • Then put in some gochugaru. Give a final stir.
  • Put a handful of the salad onto a plate. Twirl noodles around and place them in bundles around the plate. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you will use fresh whelks, make sure to boil them first. Here is how to clean them
  • Watch video below for more details

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Korean Grilled Squid – With Tangy Gochujang Sauce

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Korean Grilled Squid. Squid itself is a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine. You can find it as a banchan, main dish, or even on-a-stick.

Korean-Grilled-Squid-Medium(4)

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Outside of Korea, I rarely see it served as something other than deep-fried calamari. So today, I wanted to show you how to pan-fry it and eat it with a delicious tangy gochujang sauce. The sauce is spicy so you will need to it with a bowl of hot rice.

In this video, I also include a short walk-thru on how to clean fresh squid. Cleaning seafood may feel “icky” at first, but it may help you develop a deeper appreciation for the animal. The trickiest part will be separating the tentacles from the tube. You need to pull down with some force. And don’t worry if you rip the inner sac and it gets messy. A quick rinse under water… will make it look pretty again. Alrighty, you guys ready to cook Korean grilled squid?

Korean-Grilled-Squid-Medium(4)
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Korean Grilled Squid

A delicious way to pan-fry and baste squid. With this spicy and tangy gochujang sauce, you will be coming back for more (and more...)

Ingredients

  • Squid - 1 whole
  • Chives - garnish
  • Sesame seeds - garnish 

Gochujang Sauce

  • Korean red chili paste gochujang - 2 Tablespoon
  • Korean red chili flakes gochugaru - 2 Tablespoons 
  • Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
  • Soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon 
  • Mirin - 1 Tablespoon
  • Honey - 2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

Clean Squid

  • Separate the tentacles from the tube (reference video below). Then make a cut and throw away the guts that are attached to the tentacles. Put your fingers into the tube and find the 'plastic spine' - pull it out and throw it away. Make a cut just below the eyes of the squid. Throw out that section. Then flip the tentacles up-side down and pop-out the squid beak. Trim the ends off of each tentacle. Then use your fingers and slide it across each tentacles - remove the suction covers. Thoroughly wash both the tentacles and tube. Then place the squid right-side up (fins on top) and turn it ~90 degrees down (reference video). Make cuts along the squid. Set aside.

Make Gochujang Sauce

  • Mix all of the listed ingredients under 'Gochujang Sauce'. (Note: this will be enough sauce to cover 2 whole squid)

Pan-fry Squid

  • Put a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Pour in some oil. Once the pan is hot, place the squid in (cut-side facing up). Let it cook a few minutes until it starts to turn a red/purple color. Then flip it over. The squid will immediately curl. No worries. Just take two utensils and hold it down flat for ~30 seconds. It should straighten out. Cook until the side is fully cooked thru - with a nice red/purple color. Then turn the heat down to a low. Baste one side with the gochujang sauce. Then flip-it over and baste the other side. Turn off the heat. Plate and garnish it with chives and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Cook the squid about 90% through before basting
  • Make sure to reduce the heat to a low before basting - sauce will burn quickly
  • Reference video for further details

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Odeng Soup – Skewered Fish Cake with Broth

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Its getting chilly here in Korea. Early winter winds put us at 2 degrees C the other day. As I was getting out of the subway, I noticed there was a small crowd around a pojangmacha (Korean street food cart). People were huddled over munching away at skewers of odeng.

Odeng-Stew

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Three steps past the cart, I couldn’t resist either. So I turned back around and had 2 sticks myself. It cost me a grand total of $1. Gotta love cheap street food. The best part about street odeng is that it comes with a complementary broth. It is mild seafood broth – rich and slightly salty (The street vendors like to put msg into the broth). Makes it irresistible.

That’s when I figured that we should try making this on Future Neighbor. It’s simple, easy, and very Korean. If you’ve never had fish cakes before, try it out. (We also have a stir-fried recipe.) I like to call it the sausage of the sea, well because technically it is. It is a mix of white fish scraps, surimi and minced vegetables. If you travel in Asia, you will that fish cake is everywhere.

Odeng Stew
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Odeng Soup

Odeng! It tastes so good straight off the pojang macha carts. Here's how to replicate that flavor at home!
Course: Medium
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Korean radish - 500 grams
  • Spring onion - 10 inch piece
  • Dried anchovies - 10 pieces
  • Dashima - iPhone-sized piece
  • Water - 4.5 cups
  • Soup soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Minced garlic - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Hot pot Ingredients

  • Fish cake sheets - 10-12
  • Spring onion - 2 tablespoon garnish
  • Cheongyang chili pepper - 1
  • Red chili pepper - 1
  • Shiitake mushrooms - 3
  • Crown daisy - small handful

Dipping Sauce

  • Soy sauce - 2 Tablespoon
  • Vinegar - few drops
  • Sesame seeds - shake

Instructions

Make Soup

  • Use a peeler and skin-off a section of the Korean radish. Then cut two sections away from the radish. Slice these sections into small equal pieces (reference video).
  • Take a large pot out. Place in green onion. Place cleaned, dried anchovies into in (place them in a empty tea bag if you have). Next, put in dashima pieces. Then place in the water. Bring pot up to a boil.
  • After 5 minutes of boiling, take out the dashima pieces. Reduce the heat to a medium low and let broth simmer for additional 10 minutes.

Prep Odeng and Season Soup

  • Fold an odeng sheet and place onto each skewers (reference video). Try to make 3 folds.
  • After 10 minutes, check back on the soup. Place in the soup soy sauce, minced garlic and salt. Then gently take out the boiled radish pieces and set aside for later (don't throw away!). Strain the liquid through a kitchen cloth or towel. Broth is ready - set aside

Chop Veggies (Optional)

  • This step is all optional. Use the veggies you can find. Cut spring onion into small pieces. Cut the green and red chili into small pieces as well. Take off the stems off the mushroom. And then trim off the ends of the crown daisies.

Setup Hot Pot

  • Place skewers and boiled radish to one side of the hot pot. Then add in the vegetables to another side. Add the broth over the top. Put on a medium heat.
  • Give some time for the broth to come back up to the boil. Use a soup ladle to distribute the broth evenly throughout the pan.
  • After about 5 minutes of soft boiling, its ready to eat. Dip in the soy sauce and enjoy!

Notes

  • Broth is key. No suprise that we are using an anchovy-kelp base. But the secret ingredient is Korean Radish. The Korean radish, as it cooks, releases its flavourful juices, infusing the broth with richness and depth in flavor.
  • Make sure you don't throw away the Korean radish after cooking the broth. Use it as an ingredient in the odeng soup. It tastes delicious with some soy sauce
  • Watch video below for more details

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Spicy Korean Crab Stew – Korean Flower Crabs in Fall

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Spicy Korean Crab Stew! It is one of my Top-3 favorite stews. I forget about this delicious, hearty stew throughout the year, until September rolls around. During Fall, Korean flower crabs* are in season. These flower crabs work well in stews as they have a soft body shell. You can easily crunch through the body with your teeth and suck out the big chunks of crab meat.

Spicy Korean Crab Stew

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In Korea, these flower crabs are also eaten raw – after marinating in a flavored soy sauce! It’s called Gejang. But we’ll touch on that in the future as it is a specialty dish. Also very hard to prepare properly. Today, we will take on the stew version!

*Korean flower crabs are commonly referred to as “blue crabs” – which is a misnomer and leads to alot of confusion. The Korean “blue crab” is similar in appearance to the Chesapeake or Maryland blue crab. However, the Chesapeake blue crab has a hard shell – unlike the soft (biteable) shell of the Korean blue crabs. So I would recommend buying the Korean flower crabs if you have a large Korean mart in your area. If it is not in season, they will usually have cleaned ones in the frozen section. Taste great as well!

Note: Put the crabs in a container with cold water. Then put the container in the freezer for ~1 hour. The ice water will shock them and put them in a transitive state. An easier (and humane) way to send them off!

Spicy Korean Crab Stew
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Spicy Korean Crab Stew

If you enjoy fresh crab, you are gonna like this soup! Take a little bit of the seafood broth and mix it into your rice. Then suck out the crab meat with your fingers and mouth! Forget the wet wipes - dig in!
Course: Medium
Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

  • Korean flower crabs - 3
  • Korean radish - 150 grams
  • Onion - 1/2 whole
  • Spring onion - 10 inch piece of
  • Oyster mushrooms - 100 grams
  • Cheongyang chili peppers - 1
  • Medium Firm Tofu - 1/2 block

Stock base

  • Dashima Kombu - iPhone sized piece of
  • Dried Anchovies - 10 dried
  • Water - 4 cups

Soup Seasoning

  • Doenjang - 2 Tablespoons
  • Gochujang - 1 Tablespoon
  • Korean red chili flakes - 1 Tablespoon
  • Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
  • Mirin - 2 Tablespoon

Instructions

Prep live crab

  • Place crab in a container with cold water. Then place the container in the freezer for 1 hour.
  • Take out the container and thoroughly wash crab under cold running water. Use a old toothbrush to get any gunk and debris off the crab.
  • Flip the crab over and lift-up the tail end. Tear that piece off. You will then see a small crevice where you can fit a thumb in. Then use some force and separate the top-shell off the crab. There will be lot of crab juice in the head shell - careful not to tip this over. Pour this crab juice out onto a small dish for later use.
  • Then use your knife and cut it down the middle. Then in the top-shell (near the mouth), you will find a sack - rip that out and throw it away. Then use kitchen scissor to cut out the mouth piece.
  • Let's move to the crab body. Remove the gills. Then use scissors to cut off any left-over mouth pieces that are attached to the body. (Don't wash off the crub mustard or innards. It will flavor the broth).
  • Use scissors to cut off the big claws from the body. Then trim off the pointy ends from the crab legs as well as the back fins. Then cut the body pieces in half.

Make Anchovy Kelp Broth

  • Remove black innards from dried anchovies. Put a large pot on a medium-high heat.
  • Once it is hot, place in the anchovies and stir-around (without oil) for 10-20 seconds (Give them a light roast).
  • Then place water in. Once water comes up to boil. Add dashima pieces. Place timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take out dashima pieces.
  • Then let the rest of broth cook for 10 minutes. Place a kitchen towel or cloth in a large mixing bowl and strain the broth.
  • Place broth back into pot

Prep other ingredients

  • Cut onion into thin strips. Cut spring onion and chili pepper into thin circles. Cut Korean radish into thin squares.
  • Cut the stem off the oyster mushrooms and separate each piece with your hand.
  • Cut tofu block in half and into small rectangles.

Cook Stew

  • Place stock broth on a medium heat. Add in the onion and Korean radish pieces.
  • Once soup starts to boil, mix in the doenjang through a sieve.
  • Then add-in the gochujang, Korean red chili flakes, minced garlic, crab juice (from Step 2) and mirin into the soup.
  • Then add in all of the crab pieces. Place a lid onto the pot and increase the heat to a medium-high heat. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
  • Then add-in oyster mushrooms, tofu, green onion and chili pepper into the soup. Reduce the heat back down to a medium and boil for 1 more minute.
  • It should be ready to eat. Great job with this recipe - enjoy with some hot sticky white rice!

Notes

  • When you lift the shell off the crab, don't throw out the leftover juices in the shell. Save that to season the broth
  • In the video, I forgot to add in minced garlic. Still tasted great but add 1 Tablespoon for a nice kick!

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Korean Odeng – Classic Lunchbox Banchan

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Korean Odeng (also known as ‘Eomuk’ in Korean) is simply fishcakes. Though fishcake is not too popular in the West, Asia loves it. Each Asian country has their own twist on it. In Korea, you will find Odeng in soups, kimbap and as a banchan. Today, I will introduce you to a very delicious way to stir-fry it. Perfect as a side dish for a lunchbox or bento.

Korean-Odeng

But what exactly is Korean Odeng made of? It it made primarily of ground white fish (Alaskan pollock, cod, tilapia, and others depending on the region) and wheat flour. The paste is then mixed with carrots, onion, salt, sugar and other added ingredients. Basically, you can see it as the sausage of the sea! If you traveled through Asia, you will see most Asian countries have their own version of a fishcake dish.

This stir-fried fishcake dish is a basic banchan in Korea. From school cafeterias, restaurants and down to the family table, you will see this dish served frequently as a starter banchan. The recipe involves a few ingredients and is easy to produce in bulk. Try it out at home, save any leftovers in the fridge and add this to your banchan repertoire!

Korean Odeng
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Korean Odeng

This stir-fried Odeng is one of the classic banchan in Korea. If you've never tasted fishcake before, this recipe is an easy and delicious one to try.
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Odeng - 250 grams
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Carrot - 1/3 a whole
  • Spring Onion - 1 stalk

Seasoning

  • Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
  • Water - 1/4 cup
  • Soy sauce - 2 Tablespoon
  • Honey - 1 Tablespoon
  • Mirin - 1 Teaspoon
  • Sesame seeds - garnish

Instructions

Cut Ingredients

  • Cut odeng into 1 inch rectangles. Cut carrots into small half-circles pieces. Cut onion and spring onions into thin strips.

Stir-fry Odeng

  • Put frying pan on a medium heat. Once it is hot, place minced garlic in. Stir garlic in the oil. Then place in the odeng pieces. Stir odeng around for a few minutes until it gets a light browning on the edges.
  • Then add in the water. Stir around until most of the water has evaporated.
  • Then add in the soy sauce, mirin and honey. Mix it all around together.
  • Then add in carrots and onions and give another mix.
  • Turn off the heat and add spring onions. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Watch video below for details

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Korean Seafood Pancake – Rainy day treat

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Korean Seafood Pancake (pronounced Haemul Pajeon) is one of the most popular types of pancakes in Korea. In most countries, pancakes refer to a sweet breakfast dish – filled with fruit and topped with syrup.

Korean Seafood Pancake

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In the West, pancakes refer to a sweet breakfast dish – topped off with fruit and maple syrup. But in Korea, pancakes refer to something else. It is battered, but not sweet or eaten during breakfast. Instead, it is mixed with fresh vegetables and meat – and served as a banchan or mini-meal during special holidays. Strangely, Koreans also really like to eat pancakes during the monsoon season in Korea (late June – July). Not sure why that it is – but chances are if it is raining outside, Koreans will suggest to get some pancakes for dinner.

Katie has one theory for why that is: When you cook Korean pancakes, you will hear the batter sizzling in the oil. That sizzling sounds similar to the sound of rain hitting the ground. So when you hear rain, you think of pancakes 🤣. Not sure if I believe it 100%, but sounds good enough for me!

Korean Seafood Pancake is one of my favorite types of Korean pancakes. It typically has shrimp and squid as the main ingredient (some areas like to add mussels or clams too) and a thin layer of green onions.

I have eaten these pancakes at specialty shops throughout Korea. And the best shops focus on minimizing the amount of batter in each pancake. Less batter = More taste from the fresh ingredients.  The best shops do not dunk all of the ingredients into the batter. But instead, add batter to the pancakes as they cook. We will try this method today – so that you can taste the full flavor of each ingredient.

Note: This recipe makes two large pancakes. Each pancake is enough for two people. So this recipe is good for 4 people.

A key taste variable for this recipe is Korean pancake mix. Korean pancake mix is made primarily of flour – with some potato starch, salt, baking powder, sugar, and garlic powder. You can find it at any Korean mart or Amazon.

Korean Seafood Pancake
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Korean Seafood Pancake

When it is raining outside - nothing better than Korean Seafood Pancake. Throw in a bottle of makgeolli and your dinner is set. 
Course: Medium
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • Green onion - 20 stalks aka Scallions
  • Squid - 1 whole
  • Shrimp - 10
  • Clams - 1/2 cup
  • Cheongyang chili peppers - 1 Spicy, can also use thin slices of 1/2 a jalapeno - take out seeds
  • Mild red chili pepper - 1 Optional, this pepper is not hot - mostly for color
  • Onion - 1/4
  • Egg - 1

Batter

Dipping Sauce

  • Soy sauce - 2 tablespoon
  • Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
  • Sesame oil - a splash
  • Gochugaru Korean red chili flakes - few shakes
  • Sliced onion - few pieces

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Wash green onions thoroughly. Chop them in half. Place them on a plate. Grab half of the stems and turn them upside-down. Now the stems and stalks are mixed evenly.
  • Cut onion into thin slices. Slice green and red pepper at a slight angle.
  • Crack one egg in a bowl and mix it thoroughly.

Prep Seafood

  • Clean and de-vein shrimp.
  • Shuck clams (or mussels).
  • Clean squid and chop into small bite-sized pieces.

Make Batter and Dipping Sauce

  • Take out a large mixing bowl. Place in Korean pancake mix and water. Mix together thoroughly, so that there are no lumps.
  • Take out a smaller bowl and make dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and Korean red chili flakes together. Add a few sliced onions into the dipping sauce.

Make Pancake

  • Take out mixing bowl. Grab half of the green onions from your pile. (Save the other half for the second pancake).
  • Then take out a dining spoon. Use 5 spoonfuls of batter to coat the green onion stalks. Use your hands to get it coated well. Put a frying pan on medium heat. Pour some oil in and get the pan evenly coated. Once pan is hot, place the green onions in.
  • Gently place the green onions around in the pan to create a bed. Let it cook for 1 minute.
  • After 1 min, place 5 spoonful of batter on the bed of green onions. This batter will seep through the cracks and bind them together while cooking. (This is the 1st layer)
  • Then place half of the shrimp, half of the squid pieces, half of the clams, and half of the onions on top of the green onions. (This is the second layer)
  • Then place another 3-4 spoonfuls of batter over the top of the seafood. Put the green and red peppers on top to make it look pretty (This is the third layer)
  • Finally, use a spoon to put half of the egg mixture on top. This will help bind it all together.
  • After you place the egg mixture over the top, carefully flip the pancake with a spatula. (It's okay if it breaks on the flip - always tough on the first try!). Reduce the heat to a low - don't forget!
  • Let the pancake cook on low for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, grab a plate and flip it back over to its top-side.
  • Eat it with the dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Use your best non-sticky frying pan. Add some more oil after you flip the pancake for the first time. This will keep it from sticking on the second flip. 
  • Watch video for more details

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Kimchi at home – Your First Batch

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Kimchi is the quintessential Korean dish. There are many different types of Kimchi, but the most famous one is Napa Cabbage Kimchi.

Korean Kimchi

You will find this healthy dish in virtually every refrigerator in Korea. It is so important to the culture of Korea that there is even a “Kimchi Index” in Korea. It helps Koreans track the change in price of the main ingredients used in Kimchi – Napa cabbage, chili, radish and anchovies. When the price volatility is high, it makes national headlines.

It seems with the ever-busy lifestyle of Korea, the art of making Kimchi is being lost. It is rare to see families (let alone, single dwellers) to make it at home. Traditionally, a family would schedule a weekend in winter to make a large batch of Kimchi for the year, often using up to 10 Napa cabbages at a time! It is a labor of love.

Today, we show you a simple recipe that you can make at home – using only one head of Napa cabbage. This way, you can sample the flavors, gauge spice level and reduce prep time. Also, it’s okay if you mess up with one cabbage. Big deal – just buy another one! However, if you mess up with a batch of 10 cabbages, chances are you will never try making Kimchi again! Our recipe is simple and has the right balance of Korean flavors

Key taste variable: Time
The taste of the Kimchi will change slightly as you leave it longer in the refrigerator. This is normal and you should try it at its different stages.  Try tasting it fresh – right after you finish coating it with the Kimchi paste. Then sample it after 1 day of sitting out (and fermenting). Then try it cold, after it has had time to chill in the refrigerator. You will notice the flavor get deeper and more concentrated. I think it taste best when it has had some time to sit in the refrigerator for a few days.

Korean Kimchi
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5 from 1 vote

Kimchi - A simple recipe for your first time

Kimchi is spicy, fermented cabbage. A quintessential dish to Korean cuisine. We eat it with just about everything.
Course: Hard
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • Napa cabbage - 1 head
  • Kosher salt or Sea Salt - 1.5 cups Don't use regular dining salt - the salt crystals should be large
  • Korean radish - 2 inch piece
  • Asian Chives - 20 stalks

Kimchi Paste

  • Dashima Kombu - iPhone size piece of
  • Shiitake mushrooms - 4
  • Glutinous rice powder - 2 Tablespoon ok to use all-purpose flour as well
  • Gochugaru Korean red chili flakes - 1 cup
  • Minced garlic - 2 Tablespoon
  • Minced ginger - 1 Tablespoon
  • Anchovy sauce - 1/4 cup
  • Honey - 2 Tablespoon
  • Sugar - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Kosher Salt - 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

Brine Cabbage

  • Cut the Napa cabbage into 4 pieces. Wash thoroughly and get off any dirt - especially near the stems.
  • Fill a large plastic bowl with 6 cups of water. Then add-in 1/2 cup* of kosher salt.
    [*NOTE: In the video, we state to add 1 cup of kosher salt. That's because we purposely didn't stir the water until the salt pieces completely dissolved. Some of our viewers have stirred the water until all of the salt crystals disintegrate - which makes the water too salty! To avoid confusion, we recommend using only 1/2 cup of kosher salt.]
    After adding the 1/2 cup, give the water a few stirs with your hands. (Again, no need to completely dissolve the salt into the water.) Then quickly dip each cabbage piece into the water - just so its wet, don't leave it sitting in the water. Afterwards, set it on a strainer and let it drip-off excess water for a few minutes.
  • Then pour-out 1 cup** of kosher salt - we'll use roughly this amount for the entire 4 cabbage pieces. Now, grab some salt with your fingers and toss it onto each layer of the cabbage - just a few sprinkles for each layer. (Imagine sprinkling salt on an egg - thats the amount you want to put on each layer.) Focus the salt onto the white stems of the cabbage.
    [**NOTE: You do NOT need to sprinkle on the whole 1 cup of salt - okay to use like 3/4 cup and have some leftover (as cabbage sizes are not always the same). Don't over-salt in this stage or your Kimchi will taste too salty]
    Then cover it with a lid (to prevent bugs from getting in) and let it sit in room-temperature for at least 6 hours (or overnight).

Check Cabbage

  • Next day, bend the cabbage stem and check that it doesn't snap. If it does snap, let it sit for longer in the salty water.
  • Drain the cabbage from the brine and wash each layer thoroughly under a running faucet. After one round of washing, wash again! This second wash will help reduce the overall salty flavor from the leaves.
    [IMPORTANT: At this point, taste the cabbage leaf - it should taste slightly-salty, but not overly salty.]
    Wash it again for a third time - if it tastes too salty. 
  • Set the washed cabbage pieces on a strainer and get rid of excess water.

Prep Veggies

  • Peel Korean radish. Then cut each section into thin circles. Then cut each circle into thin match sticks.
  • Cut asian chives into 2 inch sections.

Make Paste

  • Take out a pot and fill with 2 cups of water. Place in 4 Shiitake mushrooms and dashima pieces. Put it on a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes to extract broth. Strain the broth and let it fully cool down. (Note: It is important to let the stock broth cool down completely)
  • When the broth is cooled down, place in the glutinous rice powder (or flour) and mix into the stock. Mix thoroughly to get rid of all clumps. (Note: Don't turn on the heat until you have fully mixed the powder into the stock). Then place the pot onto a medium heat. Keep stirring until the paste thickens up and gets a gravvy-like consistency.
  • Get a large plastic bowl. Put in Gochugaru, minced garlic, minced ginger, anchovy sauce, honey, salt and sugar. Then put-in the paste as well. Give all of the ingredients a good mix.
  • Then put-in the Korean radish and garlic chive pieces as well. Mix veggies in and coat them in the thick paste.

Layering Kimchi

  • Place Kimchi paste on each layer of the cabbage leaf (reference video). Repeat for all 4 cabbage pieces.
  • Place the finished Kimchi pieces into a large Tupperware or large mason jar.
  • Place plastic wrap over the container and poke some holes into it. Let it sit out in room temperature for one day.
  • The next day, you will see bubbles in the kimchi liquid (from the fermentation). Now place the fermenting kimchi in the refrigerator. Let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours
  • Once the kimchi is cold, chop the cabbage into sections and serve! Enjoy! 

Notes

  • Make sure to cool down the stock soup before placing in the glutinous rice powder. Fully stir in the powder until you see no lumps - then turn on the heat.
  • With each week, the Kimchi will taste more sour as it ferments longer. Kimchi is edible for many months. "Aged" Kimchi is popular in Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi panackes.
  • If you have any specific questions, leave us a comment.
  • Watch video below for more details.

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Kalguksu Noodles – Bring Out The Fresh Clams

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Kalguksu is a popular noodle to eat in the summer in Korea. The noodle dish consists of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in rich broth with various (seafood) ingredients.

Kalguksu Noodles

Today, we will be adding fresh clams! There is also another popular version that uses chicken breast. But I prefer this version as it is a lighter broth.

In Korea, many grandparents like to eat hot soups or noodles during the summer. They believe that eating extra hot food on hot days makes you sweat, thereby cooling your body down. Not sure if it is scientifically accurate, but for me, I certainly don’t enjoy sweating through my shirt while eating. Whether its summer or winter, Kalguksu is a delicious and hearty noodle to eat. Here is a simple recipe to make at home.

Key taste variable: Clam broth. The clam juice adds richness and deep flavor to the noodle broth. Try to use fresh clams if possible. There are also a nice topping as it is fun to pluck them out of the shell.

Kalguksu Noodles
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Kalguksu Noodles with Fresh Clams

Kalguksu is knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in rich broth with fresh clams. Taste so good in the winter!
Course: Medium
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Clam Broth

  • Clams - 600 grams
  • Water - 4 cups
  • Salt - 3 Tablespoon
  • Mirin - 1 Tablespoon or any cooking wine

Fresh Ingredients

  • Fresh kalguksu noodles - 2 cups
  • Carrot - 1/4 a whole
  • Zucchini - 1/4 a whole
  • Onion - 1/4 a whole
  • Spring onion - 1 stalk
  • Cheongyang chili peppers - 1 Jalapeno ok, use 1/4 of it, no seeds

Noodle Broth

  • Dried anchovies - 10
  • Dashima - 2 iPhone-sized pieces
  • Water - 4 cups
  • Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
  • Salt - 1/2 Tablepsoon

Instructions

Prep Clams

  • Pour 4 cups of cold water into a mixing bowl. (Don't use a glass bowl as light will shine through). Dissolve salt into water. Place clams in. Cover with black paper bag or a layer of aluminium foil.
  • Let clams sit in this dark bowl for 1 hour. In the meanwhile, move to next step.

More Prep

  • Make julienne cuts for the carrots and zucchini. Cut spring onion and chili pepper at a slant and make thin slices.
  • Drain the clams and give them a nice wash. Scrub off any impurities from the clam shells as well. Take out a large pot and place the cleaned clams inside.
  • Fill the pot with 4 cups of water and place on medium high heat. Then place in mirin. Bring up to a boil.
  • As soon as the clam shells open, turn off heat and drain water.
  • Drain the clams and make sure to save the residual water for the next step (broth).

Make Broth

  • Take out a large frying pan. Clean 10 anchovies (as instructed in video) and place in pot.
  • Turn on medium-high heat and roast the anchovies for 30 seconds (without any oil).
  • Then pour in 4 cups of water. Then add kombu pieces.
  • After 10 minutes, use a strainer and take out both the anchovies and kombu. Now you have your anchovy-kelp broth
  • Then add the residual clam water to the anchovy-kelp broth.

Add Ingredients

  • Add in zucchini, carrots and onions. Let it cook for a few minutes until they are soft.
  • Then soak your Kalguksu noodles in a bowl of cold water to get rid of the excess flour.
  • Place wet Kalguksu noodles into your broth. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
  • Then season broth by adding in minced garlic and salt.
  • Now place the cooked clams back into the broth
  • Finish by placing in the chili pepper and spring onions.

Notes

  • Slightly roast the anchovies in the pan before starting the noodle broth. This will almost completely eliminate the fishy smell in the broth.
  • I forgot to mention in the video. But typically, the fresh noodles have a layer of flour on them. It's best to remove that layer by quickly soaking them in a bowl of cold water.  Do this before adding into the broth.
  • More details in the video below

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Shrimp Tempura – Make it like a Japanese chef

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Shrimp tempura is my favorite type of tempura. And today, I will share with you a Japanese chef’s technique for frying shrimp.

Shrimp TempuraSkip to Recipe

When I lived in Tokyo, I routinely visited this tempura shop late at night for a few grab-n-go snacks. I remember their shrimp tempura batter being very light, crispy and flaky to the touch. I was curious on how they made the batter puff-out so much. Every time I tried to make tempura, the batter would be too thick and overpower the shrimp.

One day, I found out the answer when I was seated at the bar, where I could get a bird’s-eye view of the kitchen. I saw the chef pour tempura batter into the fryer first. He would stir it around and then wrap it around the shrimp. This is how they created such a puffy and crispy layer around the shrimp.

I was amazed by this frying technique and kept staring at the chef, wide-eyed in admiration. Try practicing this cool method at home and adding tempura to your repertoire.

Key taste variable: Oil temperature
Oil temperature is the other key ingredient. For those with a heat gauge, bring the oil up to around 340-360 degrees F. If you don’t have a gauge, drop a bit of the tempura into the oil. If the batter comes up right away instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan, it’s higher than 370F. If the batter goes halfway to the bottom and comes up, it’s about 340 to 360F. If your oil heats up too quickly, simply turn off the heat and let it cool down.

Shrimp Tempura
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Shrimp Tempura - Japanese Chef Style

Today, we will try a cool method for frying shrimp tempura - used by Japanese chefs in Tokyo.
Course: Medium
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Shrimp - 10-15
  • All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
  • Vegetable oil - 1.5 - 2 liters

Batter

  • Water - 2 cups
  • Ice cubes - Handful
  • Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
  • Eggs - 1
  • Flour - 1 cup

Instructions

Prep Shrimp

  • Peel and devein each shrimp. Keep the tail on.
  • Cut the underside of the shrimp half-way through (at the joints) to straighten them.
  • Flip-over to the top-side and score the shrimp half-way through (at the joints) at a slight angle.
  • Use your fingers to squeeze the shrimp and stretch them out.
  • Dry them on paper-towels. Finally, coat each shrimp with flour and pat-off any excess. Set aside until frying time.

Make Batter

  • Pour cold water into a bowl. Place ice cubes in to keep it batter cold. Add the salt and egg. Mix everything together.
  • Then add in the flour. But do not whisk it in! Instead, gently push in the flour until all of it becomes moistened. It's good to have lumps in the mixture. (Reference video for more details.)

Fry Shrimp

  • Put oil into pot or fryer. Turn on medium heat and bring up to 340~360F. Place a few drops of batter into oil to gauge the temperature (refer to long text above).
  • When oil is ready, slowly pour a little bit of the batter into the oil. Stir-around with chopsticks (be careful of oil!). Let the flakes cook for 10-15 seconds.
  • Use a strainer (or other utensil) to gather some flakes into a corner of the pot. Then pick-up a shrimp and dunk into the wet batter. Place the shrimp in the corner, on top of the flakes. Use chopsticks (or a fork) to cover the rest of the shrimp with flakes.
  • Fry until light golden color (roughly 1-2 minutes). Repeat for each shrimp.

Notes

  • Throw in a few ice cubes to keep the batter cold. A cold batter translates to a light texture when fried.
  • Do not over-mix or whisk the batter. Gently push the dry ingredients into the water until they become soaked. It will look lumpy - that is what we are looking for!
  • See video for more details

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Salmon Donburi – Fresh Sashimi Strips

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Salmon Donburi is a very popular lunch item for many office workers in Seoul. It can be described as fresh salmon sashimi layered over a bed of sticky rice. This Japanese dish is (still) one my favorite lunch dishes as it is healthy, filling and doesn’t lead to that dreadful “2:30 fatigue“.

Salmon Donburi Bowls

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The only downside to this recipe is that fresh salmon may be expensive. In Korea, most of our salmon is imported from the Nordics (Norway in particular) and the markup is high. So, if you are living in an area where salmon is fished locally, this dish may be very economical. Try it out and let me know how you like the taste.

Key taste variable:
Buy fresh salmon fillet – not frozen or packaged. If it is fresh, it will not have a fishy odor.

Salmon Donburi Bowls
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Salmon Donburi – Sashimi Strips over Bed of Rice

Salmon sashimi over a bed of rice. Seasoned with flavored soy sauce and fresh onions!
Course: Easy
Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

  • Fresh salmon - 150 grams
  • Onion - 1/2 whole
  • Cooked white rice - 1 cup
  • Radish sprouts - a few garnish
  • Wasabi - small dab

Infused Soy Sauce

  • Soy sauce - 4 teaspoon
  • Water - 4 teaspoon
  • Cooking wine - 1 teaspoon any rice wine ok
  • Sugar - 1 teaspoon
  • Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
  • Minced garlic - 1/2 teaspoon
  • Onion - 1/4 whole

Instructions

Prep Salmon and Onions

  • Cut fillet into sashimi strips. Set aside. Then cut half an onion into very thin slices.
  • Put the strips into cold water and strain after 5 minutes.

Make Sauce

  • Place all listed ingredients for the sauce into a mixing bowl. Slice another half of an onion into strips and mix them into the sauce.
  • Pour the sauce into a pot.
  • Place the pot on high heat and bring it up to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat to a medium-low and cook for one more minute.
  • Strain the liquid. Set sauce aside to cool.
  • Use the leftover onions as a side-dish.

Make Bowl

  • Fill a bowl with hot sticky rice. Then spread a spoonful of the flavored soy sauce over the rice.
  • Then add a layer of thinly sliced onions (from Step 1).
  • Then add the sashimi strips on top. Garnish with radish sprouts and a dab of wasabi.

Notes

  • Reference this video if you need help on cutting the fillet into salmon strips.
  • See video below for more details

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Roasted Seaweed Snack – Skip Costco and DIY

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Roasted seaweed Snack is becoming mainstream in the US. When I visited Costco in California,  I saw a whole section dedicated to seaweed snacks – right next to the Lay’s potato chips!

Roasted Seaweed SnackSkip to Recipe

Many people are becoming more aware of the high nutrition value of seaweed. In fact, seaweed has one of the highest density of vitamins and mineral of any vegetable on the planet. It packs high levels of vitamin A and C, and calcium. Furthermore, it also has particularly high amounts of iodine, potassium, selenium, iron and magnesium. And best of all, it is low in calories!

If you have never had it before, buy a small bag to see if you like the taste. I must admit that the seaweed sheets are quite addictive – hard to just have one or two. If you enjoy the taste, try making it at home following the instructions listed below. These seaweed sheets taste great by themselves but best with a scoop of sticky rice. You can also add some banchan (like Kimchi) on top of the rice and turn it into a mini-meal.

Roasted Seaweed Snack
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Roasted Seaweed Snack - DIY

Here how to roast and season seaweed sheets. They are packed with nutrients, vitamin A and C, and calcium. Best of all, low in calories!
Course: Easy
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • Seaweed sheets - 20 sheets Buy the un-roasted + un-salted kind
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Salt - 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

Seaweed Sheets

  • Put on a plastic glove (or use a kitchen brush) and coat each seaweed sheet with sesame oil. Coat only one-side.
  • Then get a pinch of salt (just a pinch!) and sprinkle onto the side with the oil.

Cooking Seaweed Sheets

  • Place a frying pan on medium-low heat. Wait until the pan becomes hot.
  • Place seaweed sheet in and immediately pat down with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 seconds - the sheet will turn dark green.
  • Flip the sheet over and pat-down again for 3 seconds. That's it. Repeat for others.
  • Reduce the heat if it cook too fast and burns.

Cut Sheets

  • Cut sheets in half. Then cut into thirds.
  • For storage, place in ziploc bag or tupperware and place into the freezer (not the refrigerator!)

Notes

  • You can also use perilla oil to coat the seaweed
  • Watch video below for more details

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Spicy Korean Stir-fried Squid – Skip the Calamari!

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Spicy Korean Stir-fried Squid is a delicious way to eat squid. Check out this dish below 😉

Stir-fried Squid

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When I travel through Europe and Northern America, it is hard to find squid dishes in restaurants. If you do find one, it is usually served as deep-fried calamari. In Korea, we like to eat squid stir-fried in a spicy and tangy chili sauce with fresh vegetables. Today, I will show you how to make it at home.

It is a a perfect dish to learn how to clean and prep squid. Rather than explaining it here, I link to another video which details how to do it. If that seems to intimidating now, simply ask your butcher to clean it for you 😉

This dish is typically eaten with a bowl of hot rice as it is too spicy to eat alone! Please note that this recipe requires a teaspoon of Gochujang (Korean red chili paste). You can find the paste at a local Korean grocery store or from Amazon.

Stir-fried Squid
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Spicy Korean Stir-fried Squid

Fresh squid stir-fried in a spicy and tangy Gochujang sauce with fresh vegetables.
Course: Medium
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • Whole Squid - 2
  • Bell pepper - 1/2 a whole
  • Shiitake mushrooms - 2
  • Carrot - 5 cm Measure to second wrinkle in pointer finger
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Spring onion - 1/2 a stalk
  • Cheongyang chili peppers - 2 Or 1/2 Jalapeno pepper, no seeds
  • Minced garlic - 2 teaspoons
  • Sesame oil - 2 teaspoon

Marinade

  • Soy sauce - 10 teaspoons
  • Sugar - 4 teaspoons
  • Gochugaru - 3 teaspoons
  • Gochujang - 1 teaspoon
  • Black pepper - 3 pinches

Instructions

Prep Veggies:

  • Cut the onion into thin slices.
  • Cut the carrot into rectangular strips and then cut those pieces in half.
  • Slice the bell pepper and mushrooms into long strips.
  • Slice spring onion and chili pepper at a slight angle.

Blanch Squid

  • After cleaning the squid, bring a pot up to a roaring boil.
  • Put the squid in boiling water for exactly 2 minutes. Pour out the squid through a drainer.
  • Then cut the squid body (tube) in half and cut it into 1-2 cm thin strips. Cut and separate each tentacle from each other.

Korean Marinade

  • Take out a mixing bowl. Add Gochugaru (3 teaspoons), Gochujang (1 teaspoon), Soy Sauce (10 teaspoons), Sugar (4 teaspoons), Black Pepper (3 pinches) together and mix throughly.

Stir-fry

  • Place a large frying pan on high heat. Add oil to the pan. Then add minced garlic to the oil.
  • Once the garlic starts to sizzle in the oil, add the marinade in. Once the marinade starts to boil, add-in the diced squid pieces.
  • Then add the vegetables. Stir together and coat all of the vegetables with the marinade.
  • Turn off heat once the vegetables are half-way cooked. Add in a touch of sesame oil and give one more stir. Plate and enjoy with a bowl of rice.

Notes

  • Watch video below for more details

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