gochugaru Archives - Taste With The Eyes

Creamy Gochujang Noodles

In the mid-2000s, Korean street food vendors took cues from the Italian pasta dish penne alla vodka by introducing heavy cream into their traditional tteokbokki.

Tteokbokki is a popular stir-fried rice cake snack that is simmered in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. The addition of cream results in a distinctive rosy color, hence the moniker “rosé tteokbokki.”

My previous Korean-French fusion salmon dish, a Creamy Gochujang Braised Salmon, blended those same spicy and creamy elements. This Korean-Italian fusion noodle dish also wows with a delicious fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers in the paste.

Bucatini stands in as an interesting alternative for rice cakes because of its wonderfully chewy quality. Handmade bronze dies give the pasta a fabulous coarse, sauce-absorbing surface, perfect for soaking up all those spicy-sweet-creamy-umami flavors that rosé tteokbokki is famous for…

Creamy Gochujang Noodles

Creamy Gochujang Noodles Recipe

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Korean Soy-Braised Black Cod (Eun Daegu Jorim)

Korean Soy-Braised Black Cod
Eun Daegu Jorim

Eun Daegu (black cod) Jorim (a slightly-sweet soy-based braise) is a delicious and visually appealing dish that showcases the intricate balance of flavors and textures inherent in Korean cuisine. Luscious and silky black cod is simmered in the well-seasoned braise with garlic, ginger, red chile powder and red chile paste. The fish cooks along with radish and zucchini as they all absorb those savory-sweet-spicy-umami flavors. The garnishes add fresh, herbaceous, and fiery notes.

Korean Soy-Braised Black Cod (Eun Daegu Jorim)

This dish is easy to prepare, requiring simple techniques, yet it boasts a complexity of flavors that surpasses expectations. And the beauty of this Korean homestyle meal is that it can be prepared in a half hour with frozen black cod. No need to defrost overnight, nor use the quick-defrost method of submerging the fish in cold water for an hour. Nope. Just cook from frozen – the quality and texture of the fish are not compromised.

Korean Soy-Braised Black Cod (Eun Daegu Jorim)

Korean Soy-Braised Black Cod Recipe

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Sundubu Jjigae ~ Korean Soft Tofu Stew

Sundubu Jjigae ~ Soft Tofu Stew

Recipes for the popular Korean tofu stew, Sundubu (soft tofu) Jjigae (stew), are flexible. The recipes always include red chili powder and soft tofu, then perhaps add fresh vegetables and/or kimchi; the broth can be anchovy stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth or water; it can be vegetarian or made with beef, pork belly, or seafood; the salty component can come from soy sauce, fish sauce or salt; sometimes an egg is added… sometimes not.

It’s spicy, silky, salty, and ultimately satisfying. It is a fast and easy dish, changing ingredients with whatever is at hand. Steamed white rice is served on the side to complement and balance the bubbling hot stew.

Sundubu Jjigae ~ Soft Tofu Stew

Sundubu Jjigae Recipe

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Kimchi Stew with Kale, Pork, and Silken Tofu ~ Soondubu Jjigae

My non-traditional version of the popular Korean tofu stew, soondubu jJigae, is flexible. I always start with kimchi and silken tofu, then perhaps add vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, or daikon; broth can be anchovy stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth; it can be vegetarian or made with ground pork, beef, pork belly, or seafood; the salty component can come from soy sauce, or fish sauce, or salt; I sometimes add an egg… or not. I make this fast and easy stew often, changing ingredients with whatever is at hand.

I especially like the myriad of flavors, textures, and colors; it’s spicy, silky, and very satisfying. Last night, there was plenty of kale in the fridge, so that went into the stew as well.

My method is somewhat unorthodox too. I always like to cook the meat ahead of time and drain off the excess saturated fat. Then I use the more healthier olive oil to cook the stew. Flavorful toasted sesame oil is used as a finishing oil only, not in the cooking process.

Note: for a more standard version of soondubu jjigae, please visit any of the fabulous Korean bloggers in the side bar below.

Kimchi and Silken Tofu Stew Recipe

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Fluke Crudo, Gochugaru Vinaigrette

Fluke Crudo
Gochugaru Vinaigrette, Korean Pickled Radish, Bird’s Eye Chili
Luxardo Cherry, Scallion, Nasturtium

Its texture is firm and smooth and the taste is mild, fluke is an excellent fish to serve raw, Italian style – with oil, acid, and salt.

An intensely flavorful vinaigrette of olive oil and toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and mirin, is enhanced with gochugaru, a Korean red chili powder. The coarsely ground powder is definitely spicy – but also has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried red peppers.

Korean yellow pickled radish, danmuji, brings sweet, sour and crispy notes while dark Italian Luxardo cherries add a dense, chewy sweet-tart unexpected counterbalance to the fish.

Finished with whimsical scallion curls and petite peppery-green nasturtium leaves, this Korean-Italian raw fish dish has delightful visual appeal and complementary global flavors.