Spring onion & Sea food pancake/파전(pajeon)

Spring onion and seafood pancake is very well known South east Korea region( Kyungsangnamdo, Busan and Masan) dish ,this region has plenty of seafood, where I come from. We usually eat seafood pancake as a snack , you need tender young spring onion but sadly here in UK spring onion is not very tender , you need chop very thinly for this dish, rather than whole as in Korea. 

Clam is best for Pajeon , but you can not find clam often here, and if you do so expensive. I often use mix with mussels, prawns and even baby squids makes a good pancake.

Ingredients: 2 bunch of spring onion. 

Green and red chilli, 1 each. 

200g of mixed seafood( clam, mussel, prawn, squid).

Strong bread flour.

Dipping sauce: soy sauce, toasted sesame seed, chopped spring onion, sugar, rice vinegar.

Method:

1. Wash spring onion and cut 5cm , and split in half to make thin stripes, chop all seafood small pieces, chop chillies very thinly as well and mix well in the big bowl.

2. Pour 2 cups of flour, and water (2cup) and mix well with a big spoon , make like English pancake batter, season with salt and pepper, set aside for at least 30 minutes( up to 1 hour).

3. In a frying pan heat oil( vegetable oil) and put small ladle of pancake mixture and shallow fry until golden both side.

4. Make dipping sauce: put soy sauce( 3tbs), 1tbs water, 1 tbs vinegar, 2tsp sugar, 1tbsp chopped spring onion , 2tsp toasted sesame seed and mix well, 

Server with pancake and dipping sauce, it is very good first course with rocket salad on the side.  

Baechu Kimchi ( Cabbage Kimchi)

In Korean cuisine most important dish is cabbage kimchi and without kimchi Korean meal can not be completed. Every meal Kimchi is on the table , therefor Korean meal concept is unique, I do not know any other country in the world eat one single dish every meal.

In olden days Kimchi recipes hand down to next generations for long time, every family has their own recipes and mostly pass on from mother to daughter and daughter in law, therefor newly wed wives has to learn kimchi from their mother in law . Also we have different recipes from province to province.

Kimchi is topic conversation during meal time specially when you invite guests to the meal, usually guests talk about how delicious  host's  kimchi, often the secret family kimchi recipes are never revealed to anyone. These days Korean Government promote Kimchi as symbol of Korean cuisine but sadly Kimchi making to the young Korean generations are dying art!! You can buy kimchi any Korean market but always home made one is the Best!!!  

 I would like to strongly recommend Kimchi making class in every Korean school.

Kimchi is recognised by UN as one of healthiest dish in the world along with Japanese Miso, Greek Yogurt, India Lentil, Spain Olive oil. When Kimchi is fermented produce a lots of good bacteria, more than yogurt.

Now days in Korean restaurants in UK seldom serve fermented kmchi, they mostly serve very freshly made kimchi which means just like spicy cabbage salad. I love slightly fermented Kimchi, that has complex and very special taste, this fermented Kimchi makes excellent Kimchi pancake,stew .

Ingredients; 2 Cabbage, 1 white mooli, spring onion, 1cup Korean chilli flakes, 1/2cup anchovy sauce (or Thai fish sauce), 1tbs salted baby shrimps.1tbs sugar, 2tbs crushed garlic, 1tbs grated ginger

300g sea salt.

Method: 1, choose good cabbage with with dark green leaves, cut in half by slit knife on the top and pull by hand.2. Salting is most important and difficult,wet cabbage and sprinkle salt by hand in side leaves and top .leave 4-5 hours and turn over time to time.

3. Wash and drain set aside.4. Cut mooli and spring onion like match stick, all other ingredients mix together in a big bowl and leave at least 30minutes 5. Put kimchi ssock(4, stuffing) put in side leaves carefully and fold in half and wrap with outside leave and put air tight jar. 6. put 1cup water and 1tbs salt in the Kimchi bowl mix and pour over Jar and put in the dark and cool place for 2 days and move in the fridge. Or you can put fridge strait away and Wait for 3-5 days to slightly ferment.

You can keep in the fridge for 4 -6 weeks. I have seen Kimchi fridge by Korean Electronic company in most of Korean House but sadly I can not afford here, it is too expensive in Uk. Supposedly Kimchi fridge keeps kimchi always same temperature and last longer than normal conventional fridges. I do wish I have one!!!

Kimchi making needs a lots of practise, just be patients! learn from your own trial and error!!
I am making kimchi for over 45 years but still I am worried the end result, every time, also every time kimchi taste slightly different !! defend on cabbages and salting process. you need crunch at top and soft leaves, which makes a good kimchi.  

Photos: cabbages, salting, Stuffing, me making kimchi, end of kimchi making ready to put in the jar

  

 

Our Spring Dinner / Roast Lamb

All 4 of our family gather together during the Easter week, try to find good leg of lamb for the Roast. It seem very expensive these days when you buying British lamb, since I read an article about Spring Lamb , the article said, British spring lamb is not grass fed ,they are milk fed . so I have decided opt for New Zealand lamb. it look OK and reasonable price.

I marinated red wine, slit with knife on the skin, stuffed with Orange piece, rosemary, garlic randomly and bedded with rosemary, sliced onion, half of garlic head, and cook very slowly for 2 hours on a low heat oven ( 120c first 1.5 hours and 200c for half hour) finally glazed with runny honey for 10 minutes.

It was much better than cook 180c temperature for 1 hour.

Still pink and tender!!!

i am doing low temperature, slow roast all pf meat now ,the result is better than conventional one.

Our Menu was 

Stater: Quick stir fried queen scallops , prawn with garlic and chili, asparagus.

Main; Roast leg of Lamb with Spring Cabbage with Mustard and Butter

Dessert: Meringue stuffed with Mascapone cheese, lime and ginger.

I must say it was delicious!

Spicy Squid / 오징어 볶음

Korean style stir fried squid is one of my all time favourite meal. when you get very fresh squid with chili paste and colourful vegetables are not only pretty to look at also very tasty dish. With fresh squid, I can make a few tasty dishes, but this Korean spicy stir fry squid is very easy and quick recipe, with hot steamy rice and miso soup , it is a complete meal.

1 squid(M). 1 yellow and red pepper, 1 onion, 2 carrot. 1 celery stick.1 bunch spring onion

3tsp soy sauce, 2tsp Korean chili paste. 2tsp sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil.

1tsp crushed garlic and ginger.

Method: ask fish monger skinned and clean the squid. cut squid open and cut 10cm long,5cm width. slit with very sharp knife like diamond ,being not cut through to prevent curl when you cook.

cut all the vegetables like stick, 10cm long. In a bowl, soy, chili paste,garlic, ginger, sugar and mix well add half glass of water and mix with squid pieces and set aside for 20 minutes.

In a big pan or wok, heat oil( vegetable oil) and start add onion, celery then peppers when start cook add squid with sauce cook for 3 minutes and finally add spring onions. when squid is cooked season if need it( adding more chili paste and soy), and put in a big shallow dish, sprinkle toasted sesame and serve with  rice. This taste should be sweet, spicy and vegetables has a bite to it.  

Kalbitang /Short rib of beef soup/ 갈비탕

This soup is a very popular hearty soup in Korea, actually this is main meal rather than, another side dish.

It takes at least 2 hours to boil and meat can be fall off the bone. In Britain, this cut is difficult to get in main super market or even my local butcher , i have to order it in advance. Has to cook slowly long time, but meat is very sweet, It is a shame not readily available here, In America, they sell whole rib of beef call, Jacob's ladder. For soup you can get from Korean super market or butcher. Meaty part of rib (middle) is used in grilled short rib/ kalbigui. soup or stew( kalbi jjim) are with end of rib( less meaty). rib meat need slow cook, BBQ rib need at least 3-4 hours  marinate . We, Koreans love this rib meat, such sweet taste with deep flavour, like Oxtail. I love to  campaign to eat this cut, cheaper and tastier but longer and slow cooking, do Do try!!

400g short rib beef, 1/2 mooli( white radish). onion, 7 pepper corn, 1 bay leaf,ginger, 1tsp crushed garlic, chopped sprin onion

1. In a big pan or pressur cooker , put beef and 1 lt of water, small onion, ginger( your thumb size), pepper corn, bay leaf and boil for 5 minutes and rinse off scum on the top and put fresh water( 3lt) and boil for 10 mins, and reduce heat low , simmer for 1 hour. Skim off fat on the top time to time.
2. Get rid of ginger, pepper corns,and bay leaf and onion, add mooli and simmer another 45 mins until meats are tender and mooli is trasusent. Take out mooli and cut 1cm cube,and 0,3cm thin .put back to the soup pan boil for 3 mins. This time can add thinly sliced tube rice cake ( if you wish, 2tbsp) and boil until rice cake tender, add crushed garlic and simmer 10minutes.
3.Serve with good sea salt, chopped spring onion, kimchi and rice.
4. Kalbitang is not spicy and very soothing, same time hearty meal. Kabitang is very good during the winter .

  

Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is the one of best slow cooking dish, usually I cook with shin beef or braising steak, since Ox cheek is in the butcher section, i use this ox cheek meat now, i like the texture better than other, tight muscle tissue could hold together after 2 hours cooking. this is a economic dish at best, for £4 meat , it was more than enough for 2 of us.

Ox cheek 2, garlic 2, fresh thyme, baby onion 6,  carrot 2, celery stick 2, pepper, half bottle of red wine.

1, Cut ox cheek in half and trim, 2.Cut carrot as chunk, same as celery, take skin off baby onions,

3. In a big bowl, meat, vegetables and 2-3 branch of thyme, crushed garlic and add red wine, freshly ground pepper, put in the fridge over knight.

4, Take out all the meat and vegetables, set aside, pour red wine from the bowl, boil first and simmer , continually skim on the top, reduce just less than half.

4. Dust meat with flour, heat oil in a frying pan and seal the meats, In oven proof stew pan, put reduced wine, meat veggies and pinch of chili freaks, add beef stock (1lt) and season , add 1 bay leave, quick boil and put in the oven(120c) for 2 hours until meat is tender.

4. When dish is ready, cook chest mushroom and 5 shallot with butter, and cook 1tbs of thinly cut bacon or pancetta until crisp.

5. Add chopped parsley in the stew with cooked mushroom and shallot.

Serve with cooked bacon on the top.

I serve with boiled new potato but I ate with rice , this dish is very versatile, even you can eat kimchi and rice!!! 

Octopus Salad

I found one of big supermarket chain had  octopus the other day, they are from Cornwall ,surprisingly, I did not know, Shore of England has this beautiful seafood. We, all family love octopus, spicy stir frying or boiled until tender, dip in the sour spicy Korean sauce, or  grilled  but our favourite one is Italian style. Put in the octopus with 2 cups of  red wine, half onion( with skin), 2 cloves of garlic, 5 peppercorn, 1 carrot, 3 cups of water, bay leave, 1/2 of dry chili and boil, then simmer at least 45min.and then let it cool.

Slice octopus very thinly, 2 lemon juice and zest, thinly sliced shallot( 1tbsp), Thinly chopped red chili ( 1tsp), virgin olive oil, 1 tsp sugar, season with salt and pepper.

Marinate in the sauce( above) for 3 hours, add chopped parsley and serve with nice bread.

We all love the taste and slightly chewy texture.When we lived in Athens, whenever we visit  island, we enjoyed watching, men catching small octopus, when they caught, always beat octopus 40 times on the rock to tenderise. It was a such funny sight, dangling octopus by hand. I wish i took the photo!!!

I am very happy to see octopus in supermarket here now, about time , English should try this,why waste or export to Spain like other good seafood!!! It was quite cheap, about £4 for one,

 This may continue!!!