I think the most enjoyable thing about cooking is making food for loved ones - that feeling of feeding someone something comforting and delicious really cannot be beat! So I'm pretty lucky in that I have so many good friends and family members who are willing to act as my taste testers.
Last night, I invited some good friends over for dinner to try out a few different recipes. I had made kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) for them before, back in the day when I just added gochujang (korean red pepper paste) until it tasted alright...so I wanted to make it again for them now that I had seen a few YouTube videos and recipes on creating the base broth for the stew.
I decided to use a Maangchi recipe as a base for my kimchi jjigae, but switched up a few things. I definitely made more than 2.5 cups of anchovy/kelp/radish stock, since I wanted more soup, and I kept the radish used for making the stock to add to the soup. Also, I cut up some white mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots to add - I personally love a really chunky, full kimchi stew that has a lot of veggies, but if you're a purist, definitely stick with her recipe! I put in some enoki mushrooms as well, because #mushroomsarelife.
OH! And I used my dutch oven to make it! This was great - I was able to cook the pork belly in it first to get some good browning on the meat. Then I cooked about 1.5 lbs of sliced cabbage kimchi in the remaining pork belly fat. Mmmm, those flavors. I tossed in the sliced onions and carrots and let them soften a bit, then added my zucchini. Stirred the veggies, then added the broth (about 4-5 cups, and with the radish). Once it started boiling, I added the white mushrooms and cut up pork belly. Let that cook for about 25 minutes uncovered, then set the tofu, enoki mushrooms, and green onions on top of the soup. I covered that goodness up and set the heat to low for the stew to simmer until ready for consumption.
I also picked up some marinated bulgogi - usually it's ribeye, but they had a sale on the eye round so I decided on that cut instead - and I also grabbed some Korean radish to pickle (ob-SESSED, as you might already know if you follow me on IG). The bulgogi was great, as most marinated meats from H-Mart are. I just added in some onions, green onion, and white mushrooms while cooking the meat.
Pickling the radish is a cinch! It's something I call a no-recipe process, since I really don't pay too much attention to measurements...the size of the radish, how much you're pickling, and your personal tastes will cause you to use different amounts of sugar, vinegar, and salt than I do. Trust, it's an ongoing debate between my mother and I whenever we want to pickle cucumbers. But for a medium-sized korean radish thinly sliced, I used about 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/3 cup white sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt to start with. I then tasted the thinnest slices for flavor and added more of what I wanted. I LOVE eating pickled radish with my meals - it's so good with meat or roasted seaweed or rice - and this is a more economical way to eat the amount I want than having to buy a ton of those little packages at the closest Korean grocery.
Lastly, I made a dish purely for aesthetic purposes. Just kidding (it tastes good, too!) - but I really do like how this tofu and veggie dish has turned out the last few times I've made it. I marinate slices of firm tofu in a medley of whatever sauces I have on hand (usually soy sauce, hoisin, and mirin make the cut). While waiting on the marinade (at least 30 minutes), I cook slices of zucchini and oyster mushroom - keep a light hand when it comes to the salt, since the marinaded tofu will add a ton of flavor. I cook the tofu, then alternate the slices of tofu, zucchini, and mushroom on a platter. You could also add some kimchi, but I figured that might be overkill with kimchi jjigae already on the menu.
So there it is! Good company, good food (phew), and good catching up. Now what to cook for my next dinner party?
- HungryDeb
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