Local Food by Local People / Jun/Jly 2012
Bibimbap
During our honeymoon in Japan, we were served a wonderful Korean dish called bibimbap. So when I came across a recipe for it in Everyday Food, I squealed with delight! Not only is this recipe simple, it uses common ingredients and is super quick to make.
Bibimbap means “mixed meal” or “mixed rice.” It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables and chili pepper paste. A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.
Feel free to experiment with your own variation. Some of the vegetables commonly used in bibimbap include julienned cucumber, zucchini, carrot, mu (white radish), mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), and nori, as well as spinach, bean sprouts, and gosari (bracken fern stems). To add a little protein consider dubu (tofu), beef, chicken or seafood.
If you like Asian cuisine, you will love this dish!
Bibimbap
by Jaime Dwight
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
5 oz baby spinach (5 cups)
2 1/4 tsp vegetable oil
3 carrots, julienned
1 garlic glove, thinly sliced
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
3/4 pound of shiitake mushrooms, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 english cucumber, julienned
2 tbls soy sauce
4 large eggs (1 egg per person)
4 tsp toasted sesame oil
Sriracha sauce, for serving
1. In a medium pot, cook rice according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet or wok, bring 2 cups water to a boil over high. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly until wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze spinach dry with a paper towel.
3. Wipe out skillet and heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Add carrots and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add garlic and scallion whites and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook 4 minutes. Add cucumber and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add spinach and soy sauce and stir to combine. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
4. Heat 3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high. Add eggs, reduce heat to medium and cook until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes.
5. Divide rice among four bowls and top with vegetable mix. Top with fried egg. Drizzle each with sesame oil and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve with Sriracha.
