Recipes from Korea

by Vicki H. Budge

Korean families sit on the floor around their dinner table. Various dishes of meat, fish, and vegetables are placed in the center of the table. Each person has a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. He is allowed to reach with his chopsticks and take a piece of food from the center of the table whenever he wishes.

Rice

Use botan (Oriental rice) that may be purchased at a Japanese market or other similar store. (This kind of rice is moist and clings together better than long grain rice.) Wash rice four or five times. Place in a rice cooker or a heavy pan. Add enough water to cover rice. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to simmer. Cook about five more minutes.

Barbequed Roast Beef

Mix together with hands thin slices of medium cut beef (the butcher will slice it for you if you tell him what it’s for), green onions, sliced onions, a few drops of sesame oil, soy sauce to taste, small amount of sugar, ginger, garlic powder, and carrots (optional). Let mixture sit for one hour before cooking.

Place meat mixture in aluminum foil that has the edges turned up. This will keep the juices from dripping out. Broil for five to ten minutes. Turn over and broil on other side for a few more minutes.

Tempura

Beat egg, salt, and pepper together. Slice pieces of halibut or other fish about 1/4 inch thick. Drop meat or fish in beaten egg mixture and fry in butter or oil on both sides. You may want to prepare pieces of liver, squash, carrots, and onions in the same way.

Breaded Shrimp

Buy small frozen breaded shrimp and cook in butter or cottonseed oil. For extra good flavor, cooked shrimp is then dipped in soy sauce as it is eaten.