Braised Mackerel, Holy mackerel

I like fish, fish of all kind - white or pink, fat or skinny, long or short.
Growing up in a southern fishing town, seafood was abundant on our family table. They were all fresh, nothing from canned or frozen. I hardly ever had fish that has been dead for a few days, or came as frozen or kept in coffins (canned). But there is one fish dish that I actually prefer canned over fresh. It is the braised Mackerel with radish.
Two reasons... They are tastier, and they tend to be less fishy than fresh ones during cooking. Oh! add one more. They are quicker to make, too. Oh! another one - they are ultra cheap, cheaper than fresh.
If you allow me to add one last more, you can even eat their bones. Yes, bones! They are soft enough to enjoy and offers natural calcium.

 

So, I ended up giving you 5 reasons why you should try the canned mackerels. I also strongly suggest to eat with cabbage for this dish. You will know why I recommended that when you taste it.
Mackerels are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential in brain growth, and help keep your blood fresh and thinner.  So good for your heart. Of course, there is a worry about mercury intake, but as long as you avoid king mackerels, and you don't eat them every single day, your body will take great benefit from these blue fatty fish of deep ocean.
Okay, let's stop talking and start cooking.

*****

 You will need;
Canned mackerel, Korean radish, onion, garlic, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, Korean soy sauce, rice wine, cabbage, green onion, and black pepper.

 Take the mackerel out of his coffin. Strain and reserve the juice.

 Cut up the radish, onion, green onion, and chop some garlic.

Put radish and onion in the pot and place the mackerel pieces on top.

 I forgot to add my ginger in the list. In a bowl combine all the sauce ingredients with reserved canned juice and pureed ginger.
Ginger will help boost the flavor and cut down any fish smell it might have.

 Sprinkle sauce all over them.

Let it boil. Reduce to heat to low and simmer, covered, until the radish gets soft, about 10 minutes.

"Holy Mackerel!" That was super fast!
They are done. Throw some green onion at the end.

 This is an optional but your mackerel will like the partnership with cabbage.
Just tear or cut off each leaf from the base of cabbage.

 

 Cook them in the boiling water with some salt, about 3-4 minutes, until soft. Drain and rinse.
That's all.

If you allow me a serving suggestion...

Place some rice, a piece of mackerel, and the radish with delicious sauce on a cabbage leaf, and wrap around or bunch it up.

Here is the dilemma...

How can I put the whole thing in my mouth?
Koreans never bite off anything that is wrapped. 

I wished that my mouth was as big as Angelina Joli's.

But I did. 

I did put the whole thing into my mouth. 

"Holy Mackerel!"

I praised it not for my capability of putting this huge wrap into my mouth,

but for the holy taste that came from this divine fish.

You better believe!

Braised Mackerel

(고등어 조림, godenguh jorim)

2 servings

1 can (14 oz) Mackerel, strained and the juice reserved

1/2 lb Korean radish, diced into 1/4" thick slices

1/2 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp Korean soy sauce

1/2 tsp pureed ginger

1-2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes

1 Tbsp rice wine or Mirim

8-10 cabbage leaves for wrapping, optional

Put radish and onion slices in the shallow pan, and place mackerels on top.

In a small bowl, combine the reserved canned mackerel juice with garlic, soy sauces, ginger, rice wine, and chili flakes. Sprinkle the sauce all over the mackerels in the pan.

Bring them to boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered, until the radish gets tender. Serve hot with rice and steamed cabbage leaves.

For the cabbage, Tear some leaves from the cabbage and cook them in the boiling water with some salt for 3-4 minutes until they get soft. Drain and rinse. Use these leaves to wrap around the mackerel, radish, and some rice. 

Printable recipe

Tofu Bibimbap, a rustic rendition in a stylish blog.

I am pleased to let you know that I was nominated for "Stylish blogger" by Tammy from Koreafornian Cooking. 

I like my blog, and I did spend some time and effort to beautify it. I only wish that I, as a person, would be as stylish as my blog... 

But I want you to imagine me (5'2" Korean woman) wearing a Versace gown with all the hair and make up, holding an Oscar on one hand and a piece of paper on the other.

So, here is my acceptance speech for this award, which is to let you know 7 things about me.

1. I have sung in front of Gladys Knight. I didn't know who she was until much later time.

2. I have suffered polio as a child, which caused my left leg to wear a brace my whole life.

3. I studied fashion design in college. But I do not look like a stylish designer.

4. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a Christian.

5. I tend to talk(mostly in Korean) in my sleep. My husband told me that.

6. I hardly watch K-drama nor listen to K-pop. But I am 100% Korean. Weird, isn't it?

7. I can make pretty darn good apple pie, all from scratch. I will post that some day.

Below are the "pay it forward" stylish blogs that I enjoy visiting occasionally.

Tiny urban kitchen

Spicy green mango

Pig pigs corner

Tastes of home

The recipe I am sharing today is quite simple and rustic bibimbap. Anything can be bibimbap as long as you mix with rice and some sauce to go with it. 

I would like to introduce Korean soybean paste called "된장, Duenjang". Not everybody like this paste since it has very strong smell and pungent flavor. However, if you consider yourself a true Korean food addict, then the duenjang has to be part of your repertoire. I won't be lying if I say duenjang is #1 comfort food ingredient in Korea, especially among men.

If you never tried the duenjang, give yourself a chance to get to know it. The more you try, the better it will taste, and eventually you will get hooked.

I will show you how you can enjoy the duenjang with tofu and chives in bibimbap, a rustic rendition.

 *****

Gather up the stuff.

Tofu, duenjang (yellow bean paste), chili paste, Asian chives, vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar, garlic, minced onion, and some roasted seaweeds, plus Korean chili flakes that I forgot to add in the list.

First, slice tofu and sprinkle some salt on top.  

Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry the tofu for 5 minutes on each sides over medium heat.

For detailed instruction on how to fry tofu, click here.

Meanwhile let's take a look at duenjang.

 Korean Duenjang on the left and Japanese Miso on the right. You can see the color difference.

Duenjang is made of 100% soy beans and has strong pungent flavor. Miso has some rice or barley added to the soy beans so it yields more milder and sweeter flavor than Duenjang. The types of bacteria that are formed during fermentation in both soy beans are different as well. 

I like them both in different ways. You can substitute Miso for this recipe if you like. But it won't be true Korean, though. Just to let you know...

I also highly recommend to get organic duenjang. It taste much better and almost like home-made.

It costs more but worth it.

Combine duenjang, a tiny bit of gochujang (Korean chili paste), garlic, and minced onion (I used dried). Add some water to make desirable sauce consistency.

Just like that. I can dip fresh cucumber sticks or green chilies in this sauce. You can even put a dollop on the lettuce wrap with Korean BBQ. So good together.

 In a bowl combine sliced chives with chili flakes, vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic.

 Toss with hand so that they can get incorporated well. There are no better tools than human hands...

 When tofu slices are well fried, cut them into whatever size you like.

This is seasoned and roasted seaweeds, all time Korean table favorites. We usually use this seaweed to wrap some rice with. This is a black food, color of healthy food.

Cut or tear into small chunks for topping in the dish.

This bibimbap tastes better with mixed grain rice rather than white rice only. The mixture of brown rice, white rice, wild rice, barley, etc balances well with the sauce. Wholesome and rustic always go together. Dishes like this can help you understand why Korean foods are known for so healthy.

Totally vegetarian,

Truly Buddha's delight... 

Good for your stomach,

and your mind.

But

You will need a good mint afterward

for the sake of others around you.

(^.^)

Tofu Bibimbap

(두부된장 비빔밥, tofu duenjang bibimbap)

makes 4 servings

1 package (18 oz) firm tofu, sliced into 1/2" thick, about 7 slices total

pinch kosher salt or sea salt

2 Tbsp grape seed oil or canola oil

1/2 bunch Asian chives,  cleaned and sliced into 1 1/2" long sticks

1 Tbsp Korean chili flakes

1 1/2 tsp Korean anchovy sauce or fish sauce

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

2 sheets of Korean seasoned roasted seaweeds, crumbled

hot cooked mixed grain rice

Duenjang bibim sauce :

2 Tbsp organic Korean duenjang or Japanese miso

2 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp dried minced onion or 2 tsp fresh finely minced onion

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

Sprinkle pinches salt over sliced tofu on paper towel, let it sit for 5 minutes. Before you add the tofu slices to hot oiled skillet, Press each slices with dry paper towel to remove some moisture. Pan fry them for 5 minutes, each side, until golden brown crust forms. Cut each slices into desired bite size pieces.
Meanwhile combine chives with chili flakes, anchovy or fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl. Toss them well until all the seasoning gets incorporated with chives. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl combine all the duenjang sauce ingredients. Mix well. You can adjust amount of water for desired consistency.
To serve, place hot rice in a large individual serving bowl, top with tofu pieces and chives. Put 2-3 tsp of sauce on top and sprinkle with crumbled seaweeds. Mix well and serve.

Printable recipe

Korean Fried Chicken, KFC vs KFC

I have a confession to make.
It is about C H I C K E N.
I did not eat chicken for nearly 10 years. I was not a vegetarian nor under any religious restriction but there was a reason.
Here is the story...

I think I was about 9 years old. I was just an innocent little girl living in a small town of Korea. I often visited my grandparents, who lived only a few blocks from us, to play with their dog after school. (My mother would never allowed me to have a dog)
My grandparents lived in a big traditional Korean style house with a large front courtyard with a garden and a common area. They also had several small houses attached to this courtyard for their tenants.
It was one of those ordinary day like any day. There, I saw a scene that I shouldn't have.., a murder scene! A man, whom I believe one of my grandparent's tenant, was killing a CHICKEN. I don't want to describe how he did it. It was graphic enough for my innocent 9 year old eyes. I also saw a large pot with water boiling on the portable stove near him. That was for to remove the feathers of the chicken. I still remember the disgusting smell that came out of the pot when he put the dead chicken in there. I had a very bad nightmare that night. Yes, the dead chicken appeared in my dream and chased me...
Ever since that moment I did not eat chicken. I just couldn't... until I was 18 years old. So, how did I get to eat chicken again? Well, it was the KFC, the Kentucky Fried Chicken!
I grew up, finished high school and went to college in Seoul. My friend took me to KFC for lunch. I never tasted KFC before (I was from a small town where western fast food was not existent at that time).
I, the first time in almost 10 years, tasted chicken. The first bite of those greasy, salty, and slightly crispy fried chicken? Well.., it was a moment of enlightenment. My, oh, my! What have I been missing all these years? I never imagined chicken could taste so good.
Of course my taste bud on chicken has been evolved over the years. (I hardly eat the KFC any more)
I finally overcame the nightmares of the deceased chasing chicken and regained my taste on them - in a deep fried form...

I am sharing with you a special recipe for KFC, not the Kentucky version. 

It is the other KFC, the Korean Fried Chicken.

If you ever travel in Korea you should try the famous Korean fried chicken franchise called "Gyochon Chicken". Their chicken is very popular among Koreans. When I visited NYC a few weeks ago I found the similar chicken restaurant called "Bonchon" near 7th ave and 38th street. Their chickens are very tasty as well.  Honestly if you ever try the Korean Fried Chicken, You won't like the Buffalo wings anymore.

Of course I can not hack the secret recipe for both restaurants, but tried to imitate the flavor. And guess what? I think I came quite close to match.

So, here is my version of Korean Fried Chicken in a non-spicy version. The spicy version will come later some other day when I receive the chicken revelation from up above...

*****

Introducing my A-Team!

Chicken wing drummettes, garlic, ginger, radish, onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, corn starch

I like to remove extra skin on the chicken. The skin adds nothing but fat.
It only takes extra 10 minutes of your life but it might prolong your life 10 days longer.

Combine chicken with rice wine, pureed ginger, salt and pepper. Let them chill for 30 minutes.
This will not only season the chicken but get rid of unpleasant poultry odor when frying.

Meanwhile, grate the radish. This is the key ingredient in the sauce, so do not skip.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a pot

Bring the sauce to boil first and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, uncovered.
It will get thicken eventually.

Strain the sauce through a mesh. Press gently to get all the flavors out.

A beautiful glaze left behind.  It will thicken more as it cools.

Your chicken wings are cold without their coats. So, cover them with some corn starch in a bag.

Shake them, babe!  Shake, shake, shake!

Heat oil to 170ºC. Drop your wings without any mercy.

I like to deep fry them twice for crunchier texture and color. After 1st frying...

And after 2nd frying.
I sent one wing straight to heaven by putting into my mouth right away.
As good as it gets...

But with the sauce... What can I say more?
Brush the sauce all over the wings.

Sorry, camera shake!  It was so good that I was dancing with a joy.

No words!

.....

Oh!

You will need lots of napkins,

and cold soda to go with them.

And

Just in case...,

Pray before the bed time.

Your chicken may appear in your dream and ask for his lost wings.

"Give me back my wings!!!"

Enjoy!

Korean Fried Chicken

(Non-spicy version)

makes about 4 servings

3 lb (about 22-24 piece) chicken wing drummettes, preferably skin removed

2 Tbsp rice wine or Mirim

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp pureed fresh ginger

1/2 cup corn starch

Oil for frying

Sauce :

5 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

4-5 Tbsp sugar

1/3 cup grated Korean radish or daikon radish

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 1/2 tsp corn starch

1/2 cup water

In a large bowl toss chicken pieces with rice wine, salt, pepper, and ginger. Chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. 

Place a mesh strainer in a small bowl and strain the sauce pressing to get all the juices out. Discard the stuff in the mesh. Your sauce will look like a glaze and will get thicken more as you let it sit. Warm up the sauce when ready to use.

When ready to fry, Heat oil to 170ºC. Toss the chicken pieces in a plastic bag with corn starch to coat evenly. Shake off excess corn starch from the chicken. Drop chicken pieces in the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until slightly golden (Do this in separate batches so you don't crowd the pan). When last batches are fried, drop first batches in the hot oil again for second frying, about 3 minutes until nicely golden brown. Continue the other batches and fry all the chickens pieces twice. This will help chicken very crisp.

Brush warm sauce over hot chicken and serve immediately.

Printable recipe

Note : I don't mind sharing my personal recipe with anyone but I would love to know whom I am sharing with.  Please, leave a comment if you are printing this recipe. Thank you.

Kimcheese Rice Patties, Kimchee + Cheese = ^.^

When Kimchee meet cheese, it is heaven on earth. I call it Kimcheese.

As you know they both are fermented food, one is from cabbage and the other from milk of cow, goat, and/or sheep. I don't think Mr. Cow ever eats cabbages but perhaps he wouldn't mind having a blind date with Ms. Cabbage in the rice park. Kaboom! You won't believe how divinely delicious they are together.

My brilliant inspiration of putting these two fermented god and goddess together came from the Italian risotto ball I had at my local Neapolitan pizzeria called Pupatella. The true Neapolitan style pizza I love.

When I bite into a risotto ball as an appetizer, something just clicked me as an light bulb. "Why don't I mix Kimchee with cheese to make rice balls?" So I did.

Ooooh! you will love it, my dears... 

They are so meant to be together. Why on earth did I not try that before?

 So here I am... urging you to try this recipe. I will give you two options to choose from.

One is deep fried and the other pan seared. They both are good. The deep fried one offers irresistible crispness while pan seared one offers more aromatic substance to overall flavor. You will need well fermented cabbage Kimchee to bring out the full flavor.
I will share with you my East meets West version of rice patties. Kimchee rocks!

*****

Revealing my glorious ingredients!

Mozzarella cheese, Feta cheese, Kimchee, ground pork, parsley, green onion, eggs, flour, and panko crumbs. 

 

You will also need some cooked short grain rice and Parmesan cheese.

Squeeze your Kimchee to death to remove their juice.

Parental discretion advised. Looks a little R-rated on this scene. Scary...

 Chop Ms. Cabbage as fine as you can.

Saute the piggies in the hot oil until they are no longer shy in pink...

Chop the greens...

 

Add the chopped Kimchee and fry until it gets softened, about 6-7 minutes over medium heat.

When the Kimchee gets nice and soft, add green onion and parsley. 

Remove from the heat. Let it cool down for a few minutes.

 

 Add Mozzarella cheese and feta cheese, stir well.

 Add Parmesan cheese and pinch salt to rice and mix well.

Take some rice onto your hand and flatten it. Scoop the Kimchee mixture over rice.

Take more rice and cover the top. Gently squish it to mold into shape

My brain was tuned to a play-mode that moment so I made into triangle shape. 

If you want some fun, try star shape to see if it works...

 Prepare your coatings for deep frying.

 

 Coat with flour, egg, and panko crumbs.

Deep fry them, babe!  about 170ºC until NGB (Nice and Goden Brown).
Version 1 finished.

Version 2 : Want to know how you can pan sear these patties? Super easy...

 Just press onto Parmesan cheese on both sides.

Sear with a little bit of oil over hot skillet until NGB. You better serve these patties when hot.
Leftovers aren't that great unfortunately.

"Pretty Darn Good!"

A praise from my NOT so Kimchee-lover husband.

"You can totally sell these!"

He cheered me as he was devouring the patty.

I felt good and accomplished, then, made me wonder...

If a man ever tells the truth in regards of food his wife made.

Hmmmmm...

"Did he really like it or did he just say that to make me feel better?"

I hope someone can tell me the real truth.

Hope you like them...

Kimcheese Rice Patties

(김치즈 주먹밥, Kimcheese jumuk bap)

makes 6-8 patties

1/2 lb fermented cabbage kimchee

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 lb ground pork

1 green onion, chopped

3 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 cups cooked short grain rice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

pinch salt

flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs for coating

oil for deep frying and/or pan sear

Squeeze out the kimchee to remove its juice, chop finely. 

Heat the skillet over medium heat, add oil and saute ground pork until brown. Add kimchee and continue to saute until kimchee gets softened, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat, add black pepper, green onion and parsley, toss. Rest the mixture to cool down for a few minutes. Add mozzarella cheese and feta cheese, mix well, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine rice with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and pinch salt.

Grease your hand with a little oil.  Scoop some rice, about 2 Tbsp, on the palm of your hand and flatten it with the other hand. Put 1 1/2 Tbsp of kimchee mixture on top of the rice. cover with more rice over the kimchee and make sure to cover the kimchee completely. Gently squish the rice patties to make into desired shapes.

For Deep frying, coat the patties with flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Deep fry in 170ºC oil until golden brown.

For pan seared, press the patties onto the rest of the grated Parmesan cheese both sides. Heat a little oil in the skillet and sear the patties until it creates golden crust, about 3 minutes on each side.

Printable recipe

 Note : I don't mind sharing my personal recipe with anyone but I would love to know whom I am sharing with.  Please, leave a comment if you are printing this recipe. Thank you.