The following three side dishes are made with seasonal vegetables and herbs, prepared with condiments that highlight their lovely spring flavours and freshness. The vegetables and herbs in Korea are different from those found in Australia but the ideas are adaptable. I would say the condiments are traditional but the hero ingredients are Australian in style.
Serves
2 as a side
SEASONED BOK CHOY WITH SOYBEAN PASTE
Bok choy doenjang muchim 청경채 된장무침
1 head bok choy
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Traditional Korean soybean paste
- 1 tablespoon Fermented fruit extract*
- 1 red bullet chilli, destemmed and minced
- ½ onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 30g (¼ cup) chopped spring onion (scallion)
- 1 teaspoon ground sesame seeds, plus extra to serve
Cut the bok choy into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the bok choy for 1 minute, then drain and immediately plunge the bok choy into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave to cool.
Prepare the seasoning by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
Drain the boy choy, then squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands. Place in a serving bowl, add the prepared seasoning and mix well. Sprinkle with some extra ground sesame seed to serve.
SEASONED KALE
Kale namul 케일 나물
- 100g green kale, washed, hard stems trimmed
- Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fermented fruit extract*
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 30g (¼ cup) finely chopped spring onion (scallion)
- 1 teaspoon ground sesame seeds, plus extra to serve (optional)
Cut the kale into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the kale for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge the kale into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave to cool.
Prepare the seasoning by combing all the ingredients in a bowl.
Drain the kale and squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands. Place in a serving bowl, add the seasoning and mix well. Place the kale on a plate and sprinkle over some more ground sesame before serving, if desired.
*FERMENTED FRUIT EXTRACT
Balhyo-aek 발효액
MAKES 800-900 ML (27-30% FL OZ)
This extract is made by picking seasonal fruits (or vegetables) when they’re at their nutritional peak and combining them with sugar, which comprises 80 per cent of the total fruit weight. As the sugar slowly liquefies over time, it draws out the nutritional essence from the ingredients through osmosis, infusing it into the sugary liquid. Once this process is complete, and the flavour is fully infused, we separate the resulting liquid, or extract, which in Korean is referred to as ‘cheong’. This extract is carefully stored and reserved for future use in cooking. Traditionally, it is made with pears or plums, but you can replace the pears with any fruit or vegetable that you like.
1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) nashi pears, cored 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) raw (demerara) sugar
Combine the bicarbonate of soda with 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water.
Add the pears to the water and soak for about 5 minutes, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Lay the pears on a tablecloth and leave to dry completely (if any moisture remains, mould can form). Sterilise a 5 litre (169 fl oz) wide-mouthed jar (see Tip, page 44), then dry completely.
Quarter the dry pears and ensure all the seeds are removed, then cut the pears into thin slices. Place one-third of the sugar in the bottom of the jar and place half the sliced pear on top. Add another one-third of the sugar, followed by the remaining sliced pear. Cover the pear with the remaining sugar, then top with a piece of muslin (cheesecloth).
Set the jar aside at room temperature for 10 days, giving the pear a mix at least once a day with clean hands to prevent mould forming.
After 10 days, mould will not form even when it is left unmixed. Leave to ferment for 90 days in a cool, dark place. Once fermented, strain the mixture through a sieve, reserving the pulp (see Tips, below), and store the fruit extract in a bottle at room temperature for up to 1 year.
TIPS
The extract can be used in place of sugar or oligosaccharide for cooking, and it can be mixed with water for drinking.
The remaining pear pulp can be used to make kimchi, or it can be added to the All-purpose soy sauce on page 44.
You can make other fruit or vegetable extracts using this same method.
SEASONED ZUCCHINI
Aehobak namul 애호박 나물
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red chilli powder)
- 1 tablespoon traditional Korean soup soy sauce
- 30g (¼ cup) chopped spring onion (scallion)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground sesame seeds
Directions
Cut the zucchini in half lengthways and slice into half-moon shapes.
Place the slices in a bowl and scatter with the salt. Leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and stir-fry the minced garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add the salted zucchini, gochugaru and soup soy sauce and stir-fry over a medium–high heat for 3 minutes.
Once the zucchini is cooked, add the spring onion and sesame oil and cook for a further 1 minute until the spring onion is lightly cooked. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds to finish.
Tips
If the zucchini is not thoroughly cooked, cover it with a lid and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
If the zucchini releases too much juice, stir-fry it over a high heat to evaporate the liquid.
Bean Sprout Steamed Rice with Soy Sauce Dressing
Kongnamul bab 콩나물 밥
Serves 4
This is a fantastic method to enhance a simple bowl of rice. By incorporating vegetables of your choice into the steamed rice, you infuse extra flavour, making your meal not only more delicious but also more nutritious. Bean sprouts and julienned radish are common choices for enhancing steamed rice, but feel free to get creative and test with your favourite vegetables to elevate your dining experience.
- 500g medium-grain white rice
- 200g (2 cups) soybean spouts
Soy Sauce Dressing
- 100ml all-purpose soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 100g chopped spring onion (scallion)
- ¼ onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Place the rice in a pressure cooker and cover with cold water. Gently wash the rice, discarding the cloudy water. Repeat this process until the water runs clear.
Rinse the soybean sprouts under cold water. If desired, trim about 1 cm from the ends of the sprouts for a more appealing presentation, and add them to the pressure cooker with the rice. Add 500ml (2 cups) water, cover with the lid and bring to the boil.
Once the cooker starts whistling, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
After the rice and bean sprouts have finished cooking, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release for about 10–15 minutes.
Carefully open the lid of the pressure cooker and use a spoon to fluff up the rice, separating the grains and bean sprouts.
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
Serve a bowl of bean sprout steamed rice with the soy sauce dressing on the side, allowing diners to season their dish according to their preference.
Recipe extracted from Chae: Korean Slow Food for a Better Life by Jung Eun Chae
Published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $70
Photography: Armelle Habib
