Kimchee Jigae

This fiery Korean soup is absolutely wonderful. It is very important not to add the butter until the very end. This technique ensures it will not seperate but emulsify properly into the soup, adding flavor and richness to it.

Kimchi Jigae

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1/3 lb pork belly, sliced thinly

1 small onion, sliced

1 1/2 cup kim chee

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp dried ginger

1 tbsp cooking sake

2 tsp korean chilli paste

2 tsp miso or deonjang

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dried chilli flakes

8 oz tofu, sliced into cubes

2 scallions, sliced

1 tbsp butter

Cooking:

Heat a small pot, and add pork belly and onions, and sautee until the prok belly begins to express fat. Add the kim chee and garlic, and continue to sautee until fragrant.

Next add the water, ginger, cooking wine, chilli paste, miso or deon jang, chilli flakes and soy sauce.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the pork belly and kim chee are tender.

Add the scallions and remove from heat. Right before it's served, add the butter. Don't do this too soon, or the milk solids and oil will seperate and the butter will make the soup oily.

Serve and enjoy!

Chapter 13 : Korea

I opened Katrina's trunk after filling it full of Korean food to only one thought: what died in there? And then I realized we had bought kim chee.

To call Korean tastes unique would not do them justice. I'm not saying I don't enjoy Korean food: far from it. But Korean food, much like its people, has had no hesitation about setting itself apart from other cuisines.

Kim Chee

Korea's most famous dish is kim chee, a fermented accompaniment to every meal. Kim Chee, in its most popular modern form, is made from napa cabbage, onions, garlic, and chilli pepper flakes.

But, as pictured above, you could also have baby bok choy instead of napa. Or even whole baby radishes.

The truth is there's probably as many versions of kim chee as there are Korean households, with seasonal variants.

It's an acquired taste. Tasting best ice cold served with hot rice, kim chee's aroma is pungent, even offensive. But once it's close to you it softens, and even tastes good as you eat it.