Recipe |

Bibimbap

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 small carrot, cut into thin strips

1 small radish, cut into thin strips

4 small bunches of spinach, washed and rinsed well

200g soya bean sprouts

4 egg yolks

1 sheet of toasted sushi seaweed, cut into strips

200g pork fillet, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp Korean hot chili paste

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 liter chicken stock

4 bowls of cooked rice

100g dried anchovies

1 tsp hot chili paste

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 pkt cabbage kimchi

Method:

1. Heat up the chicken stock and blanch the vegetables, starting with the spinach, then the carrots and then the radish. Blanch them all separately.

2. Blanch the spinach for three minutes and drain well. Gather them into bunches and trim into neat lengths. Divide into four portions.

3. Blanch the radish strips before you do the carrots so the chicken stock does not get discolored and tint the radish strips. Cook the radish strips for about four to five minutes. Drain and divide into four portions.

4. Finally, cook the carrot strips, drain and divide. Carrots need a very short cooking time, so cook according to your preference for a crunchier or softer vegetable.

5. Remove the tail from the soya bean sprouts and blanch very quickly. Divide into four portions.

6. Marinate the pork strips in the tablespoon of hot chili paste, and run them through hot oil. Toss them in a hot wok until they are cooked and tender. Divide into four portions.

7. Pick through the dried anchovies and split the fillets. Shallow fry the anchovies in a little oil and add the teaspoon of chili paste. Toss to coat. Add the sesame seeds and mix through.

8. Assemble the bibimbap. Arrange the blanched vegetables and a small portion of bean paste pork strips around the bowl, making sure there is color contrast among the various vegetables.

9. Place some seaweed strips in the middle of the bowl, and carefully slide an egg yolk on top of the seaweed. Serve the bibimbap at once.

10. To eat, mix up the various ingredients into a sort of rice and vegetable salad. The egg yolk will cook slightly in the hot rice and moisten the vegetables. Serve with small platters of anchovies and kimchi.