Time To Get Your Kimchi On

A new cookbook contains an extensive list of delicious Korean dishes.

IT’S BEING described as the first and most comprehensive collection of traditional, authentic Korean recipes.

The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi is about to be released by Phaidon.

Covering 496 pages, this definitive collection of 350 authentic Korean recipes is for the home cook, written by a star chef and culinary researcher.

Korean culture has become more influential than perhaps ever before, including its cuisine.

Since 2011 there has been a 300 per cent increase in Korean restaurants operating outside of the country and four times as many Korean restaurants merited inclusion in Michelin’s New York City Guide in 2022 compared to 2006.

The Korean Cookbook documents this vibrant food and the rich history behind of one of the most popular cuisines of the moment.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Born and raised in Seoul, Junghyun (JP) Park is an acclaimed chef who with his wife, Ellia Park, run four restaurants in New York Atoboy, Naro, Seoul Salon and Atomix (two Michelin stars, three stars from the New York Times).

In 2022, Atomix received the Art of Hospitality Award’ from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and achieved number eight in World 50 Best 2023, the top restaurant in North America.

In 2023, Park won the James Beard Award’ for Best Chef: New York State.

Jungyoon Choi is a culinary researcher, lecturer and writer in Korea. For the past decade she has been the executive R&D chef of the Korean Culinary Research Center at Sempio Foods.

She is Academy Vice Chair of Korea & China for World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Following 10 years of in-depth research and 20 years of friendship Park and Choi have meticulously crafted the most comprehensive collection of Korean recipes in print today.

KIMCHI JJIGAE

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Serves: 2

The smell of boiling kimchi jjigae will trigger hunger in Koreans as much as that of meat being grilled. Most Koreans will have kimchi readily available in the refrigerator at all times as it makes for a quick everyday dish.

Little wonder it is one of the most common and popular dishes across the country.

It’s a great solution for kimchi that’s become too fermented to enjoy on its own, because it is delicious stir-fried with oil and made into this stew.

Beef broth can be used instead of water (or anchovy broth) for a deeper, savoury kimchi jjigae. The jjigae is often better the next day for a more infused flavour.

This base recipe can be combined with all kinds of fatty meats, such as pork belly, or easily accessible canned fish, such as tuna.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon cooking oil or sesame oil
10 oz (300 g) napa cabbage kimchi, cut into ¾ 1 ¼ -inch (23 cm) slices
1 ¾ oz (50 g) onion, thinly sliced
2 cups (16 fl oz/480 ml) water or anchovy broth
½ tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon yondu (Korean vegan seasoning sauce)
1 ½ oz (40 g) firm tofu, cut into 1 ½ -inch (4 cm) slices 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
1 oz (30 g) daepa (Korean scallion), thinly sliced on a diagonal

METHOD

In a pot, heat the cooking oil over medium heat. Add the kimchi and onion and stir-fry for 23 minutes. Add the water and increase the heat to high. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, cover with a lid, and boil for 1520 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and yondu and add the tofu on top. Boil for 3 minutes. Garnish with the daepa and remove from the heat.

Serve hot.