Nakji Yeonpotang

About the dish

In yeonpotang, the character yeon means 'soft' and po means tofu — it can also mean 'foam.' The original yeonpotang was in fact a tofu dish: small cubes threaded onto skewers and pan-fried in oil, or simmered into a soup together with chicken.

Key ingredient

Octopus (nakji) — so rich in restorative taurine it is called the 'wild ginseng of the mudflats'; lean and high in protein, with iron that helps support healthy iron levels. In season in autumn, mainly from Muan and the west coast.

Ingredients

Live octopus 1 kg (4 whole), minari (water dropwort) 30 g, green chilies 30 g (2), red chilies 30 g (2), scallion 10 g (1/4 stalk), water 1.6 L (8 cups), minced garlic 1 Tbsp, salt to taste, a little sesame oil, a little whole sesame seeds

Simple recipe

1. Soak the live octopus in salted water, working down the tentacles, and rinse clean in cold water.
2. Trim the minari and cut into 5 cm lengths, then slice the scallion diagonally (0.3 cm).
3. Seed and mince the green and red chilies.
4. Put the octopus, minari, scallion, minced chilies and minced garlic in a pot of water and boil until the broth turns red.
5. Season with salt and finish with sesame oil and whole sesame seeds.

▶ Watch recipe videos

A Glass · Traditional pairing