Kimchi Risotto Kimchi Juk
Serves 4 generously as one meal / Cooking time: 40 minutes
I came across various kimchi rice porridge pots and pouches in convenience stores and supermarkets in Korea. The combination of kimchi and rice in a risotto was, for me, a completely obvious crossover between two cuisines I love. Creamy Italian rice is seasoned with plenty of parmesan and kimchi; the tanginess of kimchi is softened with butter to mingle gently among the flavours that are familiar yet a little different.
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ onions, finely diced
- sea salt flakes, to taste
- 300g kimchi, chopped
- 60g unsalted butter
- 300g (1²/₃ cups) risotto rice
- 180ml (¾ cup) dry white wine (optional)
- 1 litre (4 cups) light chicken or vegetable stock, kept warm
- 1½ tbsp doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)
- 100g parmesan, grated
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp snipped chives
- 30g gim jaban (crumbled toasted seasoned seaweed), optional
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt. Sauté very gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until evenly softened. Stir in the kimchi and continue sautéing for about 8 minutes to gently caramelise everything together.
Keep the heat to low/medium and add 20g of the butter to the pan, as well as the rice. Stir to evenly coat the rice in the melted butter and saute for a couple of minutes until the grains of rice appear almost translucent in places. Add the wine, if using, and let it bubble rapidly for 1-2 minutes so the alcohol evaporates.
Gradually add the warm stock a ladleful at a time, waiting for the rice to absorb the stock before adding any more, and stirring continuously. Stir in the doenjang. You may or may not need all the stock but gauge as you go along. Cook gently until the rice is cooked through but still with a little bite; it should take 15-20 minutes.
When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and the remaining butter. Beat vigorously together to incorporate the butter and cheese; the rice should be creamy and floppy enough to fall off the spoon easily. Add a touch more stock or water if it needs loosening a bit. Check the seasoning and adjust it with a pinch more salt and some black pepper to taste. Stir in the chives. Cover the pan and leave to rest for a couple of minutes to relax the grains.
Serve in bowls and finish with more parmesan, if liked. Serve while warm.
Spicy Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl Gochu Chamchi Mayo Deopbap
Serves 2 / Prep time: approx 10 minutes / Cooking time: 20 minutes
I grew up obsessing over a particular brand of canned tuna, which was mildly spicy with a sweet edge. The oily, crimson red, gochugaru-stained sauce was considered a little greasy for some, but I liked how it silkily dressed the firm flakes of tuna. While a more traditional version includes a finely cubed medley of vegetables, I prefer to keep mine simple to build more focused flavour around the tuna. I love eating it smooshed over a bowl of rice or sandwiched between slices of bread, with some melted cheese for extra oomph.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- sea salt flakes, to taste
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 1½ tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 150g can of tuna, drained
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp golden granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 100ml (scant ½ cup) water
FOR THE QUICK SCRAMBLED EGGS
- 2 eggs
- a pinch of sea salt flakes, to taste
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
TO FINISH
- 2 servings of cooked short-grain white rice
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed
- mayonnaise, to taste (I like Japanese kewpie mayonnaise)
- toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2x 5g packs of toasted seawood thins
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over a low heat. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat very gently for 10 minutes to soften. When the onion has collapsed and is smelling sweet, stir in the green chillies, gochugaru and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the gochugaru doesn’t burn.
Increase the heat a little and add the tuna, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Give it a good stir to combine. Add the water and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly and you have a thick consistency, like a ragu. Remove from the heat. Check for seasoning and adjust it with a pinch of salt, if necessary.
Meanwhile, make the quick scrambled eggs by whisking the eggs with the pinch of salt. Heat the olive oil in a wok over a medium heat and pour in the eggs. You should notice the edges of the egg mixture start to set. Using a chopstick or a spatula, pull the eggs towards you while tilting the pan away from you so the egg runs to the bottom. Repeat the technique until the eggs are almost set. In about 15 seconds, you should have very silky scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To serve, divide the rice between two bowls and generously ladle the warm, spicy tuna over the rice. Top with the eggs, avocado and a squirt of mayonnaise. Scatter with black sesame seeds and serve with the toasted seaweed thins.
Salted Nutella Pancake Hotteok
Makes eight 9cm pancakes / Prep time: Approx 2 hours and 15 minutes
Sweet fried pancakes, with their crispy, chewy texture and molten hot filling, are a popular street snack, especially in winter.
Traditionally, wet and stretchy yeasted dough is skilfully filled with sweet cinnamon-spiced sugar and nuts, then fried in oil until the sugar turns deliciously syrupy. This dough is slightly drier to make it easier to handle at home, though it is still high in moisture. Initially, you may find it tricky to shape the pancakes, as the dough can be quite sticky and unruly, but it does not need to be perfect so just go along with the process. A well-greased pair of hands are your best friend. Be sure to seal the seams tightly by pressing and pinching the dough so the filling is securely encased.
FOR THE DOUGH
- 180ml (¾ cup) warm water
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing and frying
- 150g (scant 1¼ cups) strong white flour
- 100g (heaped ½ cup) glutinous rice flour
- 1 tsp fast active yeast (quick yeast)
FOR THE FILLING
- 80g Nutella
- 40g (heaped ¼ cup) roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
Whisk together the water, sugar and salt to dissolve. Stir in the tablespoon of vegetable oil. Combine the flours and the yeast in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the warm water and sugar mixture. Stir to combine to form a rough dough. Tip it out on a work surface and continue to work until it becomes smooth and supple to allow the dough to build strong gluten bonds. It should take about 15 minutes by hand, less time if you use a stand mixer. The dough will feel quite tacky. Wipe out, then oil the bowl. Shape the dough into a large ball and transfer to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rest it in a warm place for 1-1½ hours until doubled in volume.
Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Have a large baking tray ready, lightly greased with some vegetable oil.
Once the dough has risen, rub some vegetable oil on your hands so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide it into 8 equal dough balls, then cover.
Working with one ball at a time, gently press the dough ball flat to form a roughly palm-sized round disc. Put one heaped teaspoonful of the filling in the middle and gather the edges together to seal tightly at the centre, maintaining a more or less round shape. At this stage, the pancake will still resemble a dough ball. Place it seam-side down onto the oiled tray. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Prepare a cooling rack set over a roasting tray. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and fill generously with vegetable oil to about 1cm deep. Have a flat-based heatproof jug or spatula well-oiled and ready. Carefully transfer the shaped dough balls into the pan, a few at a time, seam-side down, and cook for 30 seconds. Flip the pancakes and press gently with the jug or spatula to flatten them, then flip and press again to firmly seal the seam side. Fry gently for 2 minutes on each side until golden. If they brown too quickly, lower the heat slightly. Transfer to the cooling rack and continue until you have cooked all the pancakes.They are best enjoyed warm, either on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
An edited extract from Pocha, by Su Scott (Quadrille, $49.99).
