November 6, 2011

• Homemade ‘soon dubu jjigae’ – What to do when it’s cold and rainy outside? Before cuddling in front of the fireplace, we cooked up a warm pot of ‘soon dubu jjigae’, or tofu stew. The idea comes from the cookbook Kimchi Chronicles , which is a companion read to the public televison series with the same name. The television episodes featuring the author Marja (who is half Korean) with husband Jean-George Vongerichten (of Michelin three-starred restaurant Jean Georges, New York) as the sidekick, their culinary and cultural adventures in Korea. The book contains more than 100 recipes showcasing the full spectrum of Korean cooking.
  

  Ingredients (first batch) – green onions, Korean squash, shimeji mushrooms, soon (extra soft) tofu…..
  

  For the soup base – dried kelp, dried anchovies…..
  

  Fresh market shrimp and Manila clams…..
  

  Gochugaru (red Korean pepper), Gochujang (hot pepper paste) and four small garlic heads…..
  

  Gochujang comes in a small plastic container, add two spoonfuls to the mixing bowl, together with the garlic heads and red Korean pepper…..
  

  Mix all the above spices in the blender until pasty…..
  

  Boil 3 quarts of water, then add the dry kelp and anchovies. Simmer for 20 minutes…..
  

  Remove and discard the anchovies and kelp; the boiling water infused with lots of flavor…..
  

  Add the Korean squach and red paste…..
  

  Boil until the vegetables are quite soft, about 15 minutes…..
  

  Add Manila clams, return to a boil…..
  

  Then add mushrooms and shrimp…..
  

  Lastly, add the tofu, return to boil, and cook until the tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes…..
  

  Voila! Ready to serve piping hot, garnish with green onions and ladle into big bowls…..
  

  ‘Soon dubu jjigae’ is a healthy, spicy stew which elevates tofu from basic to exciting. In this stew, the base of dried anchovies and kelp (which has got a heavy umami flavor) infused an amazing depth of flavor for very little effort. You can have a strong and tasty stock ready in just 20 minutes. I ‘wow-ed’ this soup when I first tasted it! The 3 side dishes below are all homemade by W’s mom on her recent visit, I was lucky enough to have a taste of these home-cooked cuisine…..

  Side dish #1 – kimchee…..
  

  Side dish #2 – gobo (burdock roots which are very crunchy) marinated in sweet soy sauce…..
  

  Side dish #3 – mini-anchovies with walnut…..
  

  • 7:59 pm
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