Korean Challenge
A couple of weeks back, I showed you the results of my Vietnamese Pho (beef noodle soup) test, by my good friend from Laos. If something is not authentic or tasty, he will speak up frankly. I got a solid 'A.' He was actually concerned that I would not want to go to his house for Pho, after tasting mine. I was greatly honored.
During the dinner, the topic of other Asian foods came up. He boldly stated that he does not like Japanese or Korean food. I interpret such kinds of statement as righteous challenges. Hence, I have asked him to come and teach me how to make his iconic "Ek Rolls." His name is Ek, and he used to sell his egg rolls by the hundreds at the workplace that we shared. In exchange, I said I would do up the dog [sic] and make him and his wife an excellent dinner. What I did not tell him was that the dinner will be entirely Korean. Let's just say, that I love making people happy with food, and expanding their horizons is part of that task.
In preparation for the Korean challenge, I invited a couple of our best friends over, to try out my intended Korean offerings. I wanted to make sure that they were tasty, before presenting them to Ek. Let's just say that there was very little left over, and I had been in the kitchen for many hours. The results were quite encouraging.
Before we go on, here is a list of generally unfamiliar ingredients: Moo (Korean white radish, generally 2 - 3 lbs each), Kombu (a special Japanese species of kelp), Gochugaru (coarse ground red Korean chile, essential in Korean cooking, and purchased in large bags),
For the test meal, I was limited to "gluten free" for one of our friends. Working around such complications is a good exercise for a chef. Also, I tapped my comfort with Asian spice pallets, and tweaked the recipes, to put my own stamp on each.
The main entree was a popular soup in Korea, Moo Guk (Beef and Radish Soup): beef brisket (guk), moo, onion, garlic, kombu, scallions, ginger, soy sauce (makes the results not gluten free), sesame oil, salt and pepper. For my gluten free friend, I offered a nice bowl of Pho, which is gluten free, since moo guk is not.
To go along with the Moo Guk, I prepared an eclectic selection of Banchan (Korean appetizers or side dishes):
Bean Sprout Salad (Kongnamul): mung bean sprouts, scallions, gochugaru, soy sauce (left out for gluten free), sesame oil, sesame seeds (roasted and crushed), garlic, Vietnamese fish sauce, and salt.
Mild Kimchi (from a jar, I found a good source for living kimchi)
Moo Salad: moo, scallions, dressed with a special sauce (gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, salt)
Pink Radish Pickles: red radishes, pickled in a special sauce (rice vinegar, sugar, water, sea salt)
Spinach salad: blanched baby spinach, in a special sauce (scallions, garlic, sea salt, sesame seeds (roasted and crushed), sesame oil)
Fish Cake Dish: Korean fish cake, onion, multi-colors of sweet peppers, dressed in a special sauce (soy sauce, honey, rice wine, garlic, sesame oil)
Stir-Fried Potato Dish: Russet potatoes, red onion, carrots, sea salt, sesame seeds (roasted and crushed), black and white pepper)
I am confident that we are ready for Ek...
Enjoy,
Rich P