Maneul Jangajji (Korean Pickled Garlic)

This recipe was recently published on the Guardian as part of The 10 Best Garlic Recipes. It was a great honor for me to have my recipe included! 

Pickled garlic (maneul jangajji) is a staple side dish in Korea. It's one of my father's favorite dishes. Jeju Island, where my parents are from, is well known for its abundance of quality garlic. We used to get the freshest garlic shipped from our relatives in Jeju -- sometimes green garlic and other times mature garlic. Either way, my parents always pickled some of them. The garlic cloves are first soaked in a vinegar brine for a few days and then pickled in a soy brine. Through this two-step process, the garlic loses much of its pungent bite and becomes slightly sweet and tangy. It's important to use fresh garlic for pickling. Serve with rice or as an accompaniment to any main dish. The garlic infused soy brine can be used as a dipping or seasoning sauce.  

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh garlic (about 8 – 9 whole heads)

For the vinegar brine:

2/3 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon salt (kosher or sea salt)

1 and 1/3 cups water

For the soy brine:

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 and 1/3 cups water

1-quart jar with a lid (The photo above shows two batches.)

Separate the garlic cloves from the bulbs. Soak in hot water for 30 minutes or longer. Soaking the garlic helps the skins come off easily. Peel and remove the root ends with a small knife. Rinse and drain. Add to the jar.

Stir the vinegar brine ingredients together until the salt is dissolved. Pour over the garlic cloves. The liquid should fully cover the garlic cloves. Let stand at room temperature for 5 - 7 days. 

Bring the soy brine ingredients to a boil, and gently boil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Allow to cool completely. Drain the vinegar brine from the jar. Pour the cooled soy brine over the garlic cloves. Make sure all the garlic cloves are fully covered. Close tightly with a lid, and let stand at room temperature for 2 weeks. The garlic can be eaten at this point, but it will taste better as it matures. 

Refrigerate after opening. The garlic cloves will keep for a few months.

Spring Bibimbap with Tuna

Bibimbap is a versatile dish. We make bibimbap with just about anything - leftover side dishes, kimchi, wild mountain vegetables, etc. This spring, I've been enjoying this simple version made with some of my favorite spring vegetables and canned tuna. You can substitute any of the vegetables with your favorite vegetables. Try salmon or tofu as a variation on tuna. A gochujang (red chili pepper paste) sauce is usually used in traditional bibimbap, but a soy sauce-based sauce works wonderfully with this dish. Hope you enjoy this quick bibimbap recipe for a healthy spring meal!

2 servings
Ingredients:
2 servings of cooked rice
3 - 4 asparagus spears
1 - 2 small carrots
2 - 3 lettuce leaves or a handful of spring mix
1 scallion (or young spring onion)
3 - 4 red radishes
1/4 cup fresh green peas (or frozen)
1 small canned tuna

about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
(Mix all the sauce ingredients well and set aside.)

Thinly slice the asparagus, carrots, lettuce and scallion into bite size pieces. If the carrot is thick, cut in half lengthwise first and then thinly slice diagonally. Cut the radishes into match sticks.

Cook the peas in salted boiling water until cooked through, 6 - 8 minutes (less if frozen). Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Separately sauté the asparagus then carrots for a minute or two. You can sauté the scallion briefly if you like. The vegetables should be crispy.





Place a serving of rice in a big bowl. Nicely arrange a small amount of each vegetable and tuna over the rice. Serve with the sauce.  

Sigeumchi Doenjang Guk (Spinach Doenjang Soup)

Spinach can be found all year-round, but spring spinach is terrific! This spinach deonjang guk is a popular spring soup in Korea. Commonly made in a clam-based broth, the soup is light and refreshing! Use a small amount of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) not to overpower the sweetness of the spinach and the mild briny flavor of the clams. I like to add kongnamul (soybean sprouts), as my mother does, because it adds texture to the soup, but it can be omitted. By now, you know to save the water used to rinse the rice if you're making a soup or stew with doenjang. The starch water works as a binding agent between the soybean paste and the broth. It also enhances the doenjang flavor. Next time you go to the market, don't forget to get some fresh spinach. This soup is excellent for a springtime Korean meal!  

4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 pound any small variety of clams (Manila, little neck clams)
1 bunch fresh spinach, about 10 ounces
8 ounces soybean sprouts (kongnamul)
2 scallions
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper

Rinse and scrub the clams. Place the clams in salted water (1 tablespoon of salt in 2 to 3 cups of water) for 30 minutes or longer to get the clams to spit out the sand.

Trim off the roots from the spinach. Wash thoroughly until there is no more sand in the water. Drain. If your spinach is long, you can cut them in half. Rinse the soybean sprouts a couple of times, discarding any floating skins. Drain. Clean and roughly chop the scallions.

In a large pot, stir the soybean paste in to 6 cups of water (preferably the water used to rinse the rice). Bring it to a boil over high heat.

Add the clams, beansprouts and garlic. Boil until clams open and the beansprouts are cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Throw in the spinach and scallions, and cook until wilted for a minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste.