Tag: Korean Food

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae: Korean Soybean Paste Stew with Mussels and Shrimp

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae
🇰🇷 🍲 🍤 🌊

Korean Soybean Paste Stew
With Mussels and Shrimp

This seafood doenjang jjigae builds layers of flavor from a simple base of fermented soybean paste, dashi, and a touch of gochugaru. Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste with a deep, savory, slightly earthy character—similar in function to miso, but generally more assertive and rustic.

It forms the backbone of many Korean stews, bringing both saltiness and complexity in one ingredient. “Jjigae” simply means stew in Korean, and it refers to a category of hearty, simmered dishes served bubbling hot at the table.

Onion, shiitake, and daikon simmer first, softening into the broth, followed by tofu and zucchini, which absorb the savory depth as the stew develops. A small splash of rice vinegar at the end brightens everything slightly without pulling focus from the earthy, gently spicy broth.

What makes this version especially weeknight-friendly is the seafood. The shrimp go in straight from frozen, and the mussels are already fully cooked, so there’s no peeling, cleaning, or extra prep required. Everything comes together in the pot in minutes, making it an easy way to serve a deeply flavored Korean-inspired seafood stew without advance planning or extra fuss.

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae Recipe

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Seaweed Soup with Pork and Tofu (Miyeok Guk)

Seaweed Soup with Pork and Tofu (Miyeok Guk)

Miyeok Guk
🥣 🌊 🥢
Seaweed Soup
with Pork and Tofu

Miyeok guk is one of those quietly meaningful Korean soups that carries far more significance than its simple ingredients might suggest. In South Korea, it is traditionally eaten on birthdays to honor mothers, since seaweed soup is commonly served to women after childbirth for its nourishing and restorative qualities.

In Korean, guk simply means soup, and it’s a fundamental part of everyday meals — savory broths that accompany rice at the table. Classic miyeok guk is most often made with thinly sliced beef, though some coastal versions use mussels. The version here is a personal variation rather than a traditional preparation, with ground pork adding a savory backbone that pairs nicely with the clear broth, garlic, and sesame.

Seaweed Soup with Pork and Tofu (Miyeok Guk)

The dried seaweed (miyeok, often sold as wakame) unfurls into silky ribbons as it simmers, lending a gentle ocean note to the soup. Traditional miyeok guk usually relies on water, beef broth, or a Korean anchovy-kelp stock for its base. In this recipe, I add a small spoonful of hondashi — a Japanese-style dashi powder — as a quick way to bring extra umami to the broth.

Cubes of firm tofu are added at the end to heat through, holding their shape while taking on the flavor of the soup. Together, the tender tofu and pleasantly chewy seaweed create a satisfying contrast that gives each spoonful layered texture. Finished with a generous grind of black pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, the soup is excellent alongside steamed white rice or enjoyed on its own as a warm, savory bowl.

Seaweed Soup Recipe

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Korean Meatloaf Burgers

Korean Meatloaf Burger

Korean Meatloaf Burgers
Kimchi, Cheddar, Fried Egg, Mayo

These Korean Meatloaf Burgers transform classic comfort food with a bold, spicy twist inspired by Bobby Flay’s Korean-Style Meatloaf. Made with a tender, deeply savory mix of ground beef, pork, and veal — a butcher’s blend that stays moist and full of flavor — each bite delivers succulent richness and layered depth.

What really sets this meatloaf apart is the punch of Korean ingredients gochujang (Korean chili paste) and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). They add just the right balance of sweet heat, balanced fruitiness, and slight smokiness. Soy sauce, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, ginger, and garlic add a deep umami and savoriness.

Glazed with a sweet-spicy sauce that caramelizes beautifully in the oven, the meatloaf is delicious on its own — but piled onto a soft toasted brioche bun with tangy kimchi, sharp melty cheddar, and a fried egg, it transforms into an unforgettable burger that’s messy in all the best ways.

Make the whole loaf ahead of time, then stack up these burgers the next day for comfort food with a spicy Korean twist at its tastiest.

Korean Meatloaf Burgers

Korean Meatloaf Recipe

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Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Fresh Wild Arugula, Mint, Scallions
Hot Mustard Sesame Garlic Sauce

Gochujang brings a fiery kick, while daikon radish provides a crisp, peppery contrast to the creamy polenta. A bold hot mustard sauce balances beautifully with the rich succulent meat. These lamb shanks are slow-braised in a tangy, sweet, and savory blend of pomegranate juice and figs, then finished under the broiler for a crispy exterior and meltingly tender, flavorful interior.

With its sweet heat and deep, fermented umami notes, gochujang—Korean red chili paste—offers a balanced fruitiness, a hint of smokiness, and layers of flavor from sun-dried Korean red peppers. It complements the meat and pomegranate-fig sauce perfectly, resulting in a dish bursting with vibrant flavors, contrasting textures, bold aromas, and a wild presentation.

Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks Recipe

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Creamy Gochujang Noodles

Creamy Gochujang Noodles

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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