Choseok (Lunar Thanks Giving Day (추석)) Meal

Today, 19th of Sept. 2013, is Chuseok ( Lunar Thanks Giving Day) in Korea, I do miss this Korean Chuseok always. Family gathering , delicious special food and ceremony for our ancestors and feast!!  never red spicy food in this feast because red colour is associate with devil , this story was told from my dad when I was child. and have to open the door during the ceremony because our ancestors' ghost has to enter the house and have the feast made for them. what a lovely tale!!!

I have tried this ritual ceremonial feast every year some how I could not manage the same as I had in Korea. But still I am trying for 33years, adding salted sea bream makes a such difference. I nearly made as our family feast in Korea, this year.

This year Chuseok meal is simple, made namul ( seasoned vegetable) with bean sprout and spinach, prawn and spring onion stuffed dumplings ( mandu), baked sea- bream with ginger and spring onion.

 Baked fish: sprinkled sea salt ( 2tsp per fish) and put in the fridge for a night, wash off salt and bed with soring onion and thinly sliced ginger, and add 2 tbsp of water and baked in the oven ( cover with foil), when fish is lightly salted , the texture is firmer and delicious. My family in Korea does steam with fresh hay under the fish , I loved this hay flavoured fish,  salty ( just enough ) and with rice and namul.
I decided to cook in the oven, it was a success, luckily. we all enjoyed .

Being a Anglo Korean House, I have to add fig and Parma ham salad with roasted red pepper and smoked salmon.
As usual I made bulgogi but not thin beef as usual, slightly thicker and used skirt beef , it was so tender and add more flavour.

It was simple but delicious Anglo Korean Chuseok meal .




bean sprout and spinach namul

fig and Parma ham salad

baked salted sea bream with ginger



prawn dumplings with dipping sauce