Haemul Sundubu Jigae (Seafood Soft Tofu Stew)

Since the weather is starting to turn colder here in Southern California (Yes, I know it's still not that cold because it is Southern California) I decided to make a stew. I don't often cook seafood but this looked so amazing that I had to try it. So I took a little trip to the Korean market it Northridge. I love going to the Galleria Market because it always has everything I need and everyone is so nice. I love going to the Korean market far more than going to the regular grocery store. Maybe the fascination factor hasn't worn off yet. I can't wait to keep exploring the aisles as I cook different recipes.

One thing you should know about me is that anytime I cook Korean food I listen to K-pop. I feel the two go together nicely and it makes the cooking process a lot funner. My current playlist has a lot of BIGBANG on it. If you don't know who they are I highly recommend checking them out. They are so incredibly talented! Not only are they awesome singers and rappers, they are also incredible song writers. (I totally look up the lyrics in English but do appreciate the songs in Korean) They have such a commanding presence when they're performing and create the most elaborate music videos. Check out their song Bang Bang Bang to see what I mean. Some of the members have also done solo projects or collaborations with other members. I love the song Good Boy by G Dragon and Taeyang. It is so good! I warn you, it is highly addictive. So now you can picture me dancing around the kitchen to these songs while I make the following dish.

I found this recipe on the Korean Bapsang. I think it was pretty easy to make. The hardest part for me is preparing all the ingredients, there is a lot of chopping. One of the main ingredient in many Korean dishes is anchovy broth or stock. It can seem a little intimidating but it can be very simple. I've only made the broth with just anchovies and water. I have not attempted it with dashima yet, maybe next time. This is what my finished broth looks like.

Ingredients
1 package (11 ounces) sundubu (extra soft/silken tofu)
2 ounces beef or pork (rib eye, sirloin, pork loin or pork belly)
7-8 pieces of seafood assortment (shrimp, mussels, clams and/or oysters)
1/2 small zucchini (2-3 ounces)
1/4 onion (2-3 ounces)
1 scallion
1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)- adjust to taste.
1 teaspoon sesame oil ( use more if using more gochugaru)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 cup anchovy broth
Salt
Pepper

I used clams and shrimp for the seafood. I used a little more seafood than what the recipe called for. I had about 14 clams and 13 shrimp. I let the clams soak for 30 minutes to encourage them to spit out any sand and then I scrubbed them to get any debris off.  While the clams were soaking I cleaned the shrimp and took their shells off.

 I cut the pork belly into strips (about 1 inch) and I cut up the onion, zucchini and scallions in large chunks. I used a whole zucchini for this recipe.










In a pan over medium heat I combined the red pepper flakes and sesame oil until it formed a paste.

Then I added the pork, onions, garlic and soy sauce. I stir fried it until the pork and onions were almost done, about 2-3 minutes.

 I added the anchovy broth and brought it to a boil. I then let it boil for 3-4 minutes.










The I added the zucchini and soft tofu in large chunks. I brought this all to a boil again and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Stirring occasionally to make sure the tofu didn't stick to the bottom.

 I put in the clams and shrimp and let it cook until the clams opened, about 2-3 minutes. A little salt and pepper to taste. I put in the scallions right before turning off the heat.









I am very proud of how it turned it. It was super delicious! Warm and spicy, just what I needed on a cold day. I hope you have enjoyed this recipe and the insight into my current playlist. I have enjoyed sharing it with you. Have a great week!

Xoxo,
Rachel

Hello!

Hello everyone! I'd like to invite you to join my adventures in Korean cooking. This is a new journey for me but I'm happy to have you along for the ride. I think it'll make this adventure a lot more fun. I'm sure you're all wondering how I got started on this journey in Korean cooking, as you should. My journey was inspired by the Try Guys. Some of you may be familiar with them but for those that aren't the Try Guys are 4 men from Buzzfeed that try out different things such as Ninja Warrior or trying on different costumes. They are so much funnier and amazing to watch than I am making them seem at the moment. Well anyway they did a couple videos about Korean culture that focused on K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean cooking. The two videos that had the most influence was the video "The Try Guys Watch K-pop For The First Time" and "The Try Guys Try Korean Cooking" Prior to seeing these videos I had not listened to any K-Pop or eaten Korean food. But thanks to these videos I was introduced into a whole new world and I loved it! This is also the reason I have started learning Korean. I now have a whole new music genre to love, a new language to learn and delicious recipes to try out.
So there you have it! Now you know how I started this adventure. I hope you enjoy being on the journey with me. It will be very fun, delicious and maybe even a little weird at times but hey that's how I roll! I'm still learning so at this point none of these recipes are my own. I use Pinterest as my inspiration and will probably feature many recipes for the Korean Bapsang. I was also introduced to her through the Try Guys videos so thank you for that. Are you ready? Let's go!