Hwangdeung Bibimbap

About the dish

Bibimbap, whose name simply means 'rice mixed together,' is often called the queen of traditional Korean dishes. Like May itself — brimming with the vigor of youth spreading its wings, all clear sunshine and endless blue sea — it sets white rice, likened to a woman's white underskirt, beneath a rainbow-striped array of seasoned gochujang, mung bean jelly, fernbrake, beef, shiitake, zucchini and yellow-and-white egg ribbons.

Key ingredient

Beef (sogogi) — quality protein and essential amino acids build muscle and stamina; iron and zinc help support healthy iron levels and strengthen immunity, and B vitamins ease fatigue. Good all year round, mainly from Hoengseong & Hongcheon.

Ingredients

Main: cooked rice 840 g (4 bowls), snow crabs 2, cucumber 150 g (1), zucchini 120 g (1/3), carrot 120 g (about 1), doraji (balloon flower root) 80 g (4 roots), egg 50 g (1), gim 2 g (1 sheet), salt 1 tbsp, cooking oil 1 tsp, sesame oil 1/2 tbsp, minced garlic 1 tbsp, sesame salt 1 tbsp, sugar a pinch

Simple recipe

1. Clean the snow crabs, place them shell-side down in a steamer and steam for about 10 min.
2. Cut the zucchini and cucumber into 5 cm lengths, pare away the outer flesh, julienne it, salt and squeeze, then stir-fry in a pan.
3. Julienne the carrot into fine strips, blanch in salted boiling water, then season with salt and sesame oil and stir-fry.
4. Cut the doraji into 5 cm lengths, tear into thin strips, knead with salt to remove the bitterness, then blanch, season with minced garlic, sesame salt, sesame oil and sugar, and stir-fry.
5. Fry the egg into separate yellow and white sheets and slice them into fine ribbons (5 x 0.2 x 0.2 cm).
6. Toast the gim lightly over a flame and crumble it.
7. Remove the top shell and innards of the steamed crabs and pick the meat from the legs.
8. Mound the rice in bowls, arrange the vegetables and crab meat by color, and garnish with the gim and egg ribbons.

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A Glass · Traditional pairing