Korean recipes from Koreaworld | National Post

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Our cookbook of the week is Koreaworld by chef Deuki Hong and writer and editor Matt Rodbard.

Jump to the recipes: bottom-of-the-pot butter juk; bindaetteok, bacon and eggs; and saengseon mu jorim (braised fish and radish).

In 2012, years before Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, K-pop became a global phenomenon and Atomix placed higher in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list than any other spot in North America, co-authors chef Deuki Hong and writer and editor Matt Rodbard started documenting a “culinary revolution.”

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For their first cookbook, Koreatown (Clarkson Potter, 2016), Hong and Rodbard travelled to Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York, interviewing more than 100 Korean American chefs and business owners. In their followup, Koreaworld (Clarkson Potter, 2024), they capture the evolution and excitement that’s been mounting ever since — both in Korea and the United States.

“The whole journey from 2012 to now has seen such an immense change,” says Rodbard, founding editor of Taste magazine. “The IQ of the diners has just elevated so greatly, and the appreciation for foods beyond the traditional Korean barbecue. That’s been a big point of our book — both of our books, to be honest. We wanted them to think about Korean food beyond the tropes that most Americans and other readers know.”

Their “baby mission” with their first book was to inspire more people to embrace their local Koreatowns, says Hong, chef-owner of the Sunday Family Hospitality Group in San Francisco. Twelve years later, awareness has changed. “A lot of people, and blessfully so, have some touch point — however little, however big — of something Korean, whether that’s the food, the culture, the arts. So we got to have a more nuanced conversation about not just Korean food but regional Korean food. And not just about K-pop, but also some artists. So, really diving in. I like to say the difference is that we got to go deeper this time around, and that’s always a privilege.”

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They had hoped to extend their research north of the border to Toronto and Vancouver for Koreaworld, but pandemic travel restrictions thwarted their plans. Even so, they broke unprecedented ground. The book is the first of its kind in English to delve into the food of “modern Korea” — the ever-changing vibrancy of Seoul with regional spotlights on Jeolla-do’s Buddhist temple cuisine in the southwest, the subtropical specialties of Jeju Island, “the Hawaii of Korea,” and the mountain food of Gangwon-do in the northeast — as well as “the new Koreatown” in the United States.

Hong ran a Korean barbecue restaurant in New York City for several years. Recognizing that barbecue is the most common entry point for many North Americans, he and Rodbard set out to showcase Korean cuisine’s diversity. “This modern Korea that we talk about is more than just what people think it is. It’s more than Korean barbecue. It’s more than bibimbap. It’s the basis of cooking,” says Hong. In Koreaworld, they share their experiences in the monasteries of Gwangju — “after the Netflix cameras went home” — the black pork and tangerines of Jeju-do and the bibim guksu (chilled buckwheat noodles) and memil jeonbyeong (buckwheat pancake roll) that fuelled them while hiking in Seoraksan National Park. “That is where we got to touch on that conversation, sharing with the world that, ‘Hey, look at these beautiful, nuanced elements of Korean food, Korean culture,’” adds Hong.

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The co-authors immersed themselves in Korea’s plant-based temple cuisine, spending several days at the sixth-century Buddhist monastery Hwaeomsa, cooking and observing. They woke up at 3:45 a.m. to watch the cooks prepare the monks’ meals. At 5:10 a.m., they stood in the dining hall as the monks ate “a well-considered buffet-style spread of deep flavour and tongue-snapping fermentation.” They were surprised by how innovative an ancient cuisine could be, Rodbard recalls. “We found that really inspirational.”

Hong admired the ingenuity of the temple cooks and their approach to avoiding restricted ingredients (onions, garlic, scallions, chives and leeks). “It didn’t feel like, ‘Sorry, we can’t use that.’ It felt like, ‘Oh, but we get to introduce it this way. We get to introduce sweetness through this. Hey, we grew this in the back, and there’s this bitter element to this that we really love.’”

There’s a dichotomy in Korea, says Hong. The capital is constantly changing — “you can go every year and experience a new Seoul” — yet there’s a dedication to long-held traditions in the countryside and outskirts. “There are places that have been there, doing the same thing, same dishes, longer than I’ve been alive. And I think that’s the beautiful part, where you can tap into both.”

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Rodbard thinks this is what makes Korea unique. As tightly as the country holds its food traditions, Seoul has changed dramatically since he first visited 12 years ago, especially in the excellent quality of coffee and pastry. While in the past, North Americans looked to Japanese culture for tech innovation and cutting-edge fashion, beauty and food trends, today, “the energy is coming from Korea.”

Hong was struck by the wide spectrum of Korean cuisine. “Your tastebuds won’t ever be bored,” he says. On the same day, you might experience time-honoured temple cuisine and a next-level corn dog on the streets of Seoul, “where foods on a stick can be seen as their own unique food group.” The mastery of fermentation he saw there has influenced his approach in the United States.

Last year, Hong collaborated with chef Kelly Whitaker on the Denver restaurant Hey Kiddo, where they make sourdough gochujang using leftover bread from their sister bakery, Dry Storage. The fermented paste brings pungent chili heat to dishes such as sticky Kurobuta pork ribs and dry-aged tartare with crispy potato. Sourdough gochujang is just one example of how researching and writing Koreatown and Koreaworld has spilled over into his work as a chef. Applying a technique he learned in Korea to Colorado grain brings both sides of his identity together.

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The authors say the greatest challenge of writing Koreaworld was choosing the recipes. In Koreatown, they highlighted 100 dishes, many of them classics, and didn’t want to repeat any. For Koreaworld, they took inspiration from their travels, such as the whole-fried smashed rockfish they stumbled upon at a beachside restaurant on the eastern coast of Jeju Island and the broccoli salad with ssamjang mayo the cooks made at the Hwaeomsa Buddhist monastery. “I remember thinking, ‘This is something that I would do in culinary school,’ like chipotle mayo, ssamjang mayo. I love honouring stuff like that,” says Hong.

Then there are modern versions of classics, such as bottom-of-the-pot juk, recipes from “citizens of Koreaworld,” such as Eric Kim’s kimchi-braised short rib pappardelle, “silly recipes,” like Taco Bell bibimbap, “serious pickles” and kimchis at the foundation of Korean cuisine. “We were kind of bashfully us, and that connects with people,” adds Hong.

Many assume that South Korea, with a population of more than 50 million, is much larger geographically, says Rodbard. It’s roughly the size of the state of Indiana, with an outsized global impact. The excitement around the cuisine is exploding in Canada, as in the United States, with flavours and ingredients riding the Korean Wave (Hallyu), popping up on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, regardless of the style of food.

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During the pandemic, as Rodbard was wrapping up work on Food IQ (Harper, 2022), he and Hong started talking about the trends they noticed. “We soon realized that this book was natural to write because it was framed and centred around the modern Korean diaspora and modern Korean times. And we felt it was the biggest story in food.”

Photographer Alex Lau travelled with them on several Korean trips over two years, capturing the book’s images in situ and shooting many of the recipes with the dish’s creator by their side. “It’s a book not just about the culture, but the people. And we wanted people to be in the book,” says Rodbard. “This book is not just a cookbook but a real documentary project. It’s a cultural history of modern Korea. And to us, that was the most exciting way to do the book. It wasn’t the easiest way, granted — but for us, it felt really right.”

BOTTOM-OF-THE-POT BUTTER JUK

버터죽

Serves: 2 to 4

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4 cups (1 L) anchovy stock or other flavourful stock (see note)
1 cup (250 mL) cooked white rice
1 egg
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, cubed
Two or three 6-inch (15-cm) squares roasted nori seaweed (kim), cut into ribbons
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Salmon roe, caviar, Dungeness crabmeat and/or sliced raw scallops, for garnish (optional)

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup (250 mL) of the stock over medium heat. Add the rice and egg and stir together with the stock until fully incorporated but the egg is not scrambled.

Step 2

Add the butter and stir as it slowly melts to emulsify.

Step 3

Turn up the heat to high and slowly add the remaining stock, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, while constantly stirring (risotto style) until most, if not all, of the stock is used. The result should be a porridge-like consistency with a slightly thickened texture from the egg and butter.

Step 4

Season with the seaweed, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Garnish with one or more of the luxurious toppers if you like and serve.

Note: This dish was originally developed to be the final course of a hot pot meal; in that scenario, you would strain the flavourful broth from the hot pot at the end of a meal and use that liquid. Feel free to add more liquid to equal 4 cups (1 L), or just have a thicker dish if you have less broth.

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BINDAETTEOK, BACON AND EGGS

빈대떡

Makes: 8 to 10 pancakes

2 cups (500 mL) dried split mung beans
1 cup (250 mL) drained cabbage kimchi, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) doenjang
1/4 tsp (1 mL) kosher salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
Neutral cooking oil, for cooking 4 eggs
6 to 10 slices bacon or sausage links

Step 1

Rinse the mung beans well, then transfer to a medium bowl, add water to cover, and let soak for 2 to 3 hours. Drain.

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the kimchi, sesame oil, soy sauce, doenjang and salt and mix well. Set aside.

Step 3

In a food processor, combine the mung beans and water and process until you have a mealy, sand-like consistency. Add the mung bean mixture to the kimchi mixture and mix well to form a batter.

Step 4

To make the pancakes, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and heat 3 tablespoons (or more) neutral oil until it shimmers. Ladle two silver-dollar-size pancakes into the pan, spacing them well apart, and cook, turning once and adding more oil to the pan for additional crispiness, until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

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Step 5

While the pancakes are cooking, cook the bacon and eggs in your most relaxed way. Scrambled works and may be easiest if you’re also on pancake duty, but sunny-side up is great.

Step 6

When everything is ready, drizzle a little sesame oil on the pancakes, and serve immediately.

SAENGSEON MU JORIM

Braised Fish and Radish
생선무우조림

Serves: 2 or 3

Sauce:
3/4 cup (175 mL) soy sauce
3 tbsp (45 mL) mirin
3 tbsp (45 mL) soju
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
6 tbsp (90 mL) coarsely ground gochugaru
2 tbsp (30 mL) gochujang
1 tbsp (15 mL) doenjang
3-inch (7.5-cm) knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar

1 lb (454 g) Korean radish or daikon, peeled, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) -thick wheels and wheels halved
4 cups (1 L) anchovy stock, vegetable stock or water
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
Two 8-oz (227-g) fillets skin-on branzino, red snapper or other white fish
1 Korean green chili, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced
Hot cooked short-grain rice, for serving

Step 1

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients until well mixed and the sugar dissolves.

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Step 2

Place the radish pieces in a single layer in a large sauté pan or shallow saucepan and pour in enough stock to cover the pieces.

Step 3

Add about one-third of the sauce and mix with the stock and radish pieces. Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn down the heat to medium-low. Baste and turn the radish pieces occasionally as it reduces and drops below the tops of the pieces, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

At this point, the braising liquid should have reduced by about half. Add more stock to bring to a level even with the top of the radish pieces. Add the onion, distributing the slices evenly across the radish pieces and stock.

Step 5

Cut the fish fillets in half on the diagonal and place, skin side up, on top of the radish pieces and onion. They should sit mostly above the liquid. Using a spoon, cover the fish pieces with about half of the remaining sauce.

Step 6

Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and braise the fish, basting it with the braising liquid every 2 minutes or so. After about 7 minutes, spoon the remaining sauce on top of the fish and add the chili and half of the scallions, distributing them evenly across the top of the pan.

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Step 7

Re-cover and simmer until the fish is cooked, about 2 minutes longer. Then remove from the heat, garnish with the remaining scallions, and serve immediately with rice.

Recipes and images reprinted with permission from Koreaworld: A Cookbook. Copyright ©2024 by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. Photographs copyright ©2024 by Alex Lau. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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