Cookbook author Billy Law, turned his obsession of Korean cuisine into a cookbook as vibrant as the dishes within it. Meticulously researching every aspect of the cuisine – from street foods to hotpots, bar snacks and of course kimchi – he developed and tested recipes that allow anyone to experience a taste of Korea at home through the pages of Cook Korea.
Dietary Notes
There’s a lot of meat, eggs and veggies in Korean cooking but little to none dairy and fish. You’ll find loads of vegan and vegetarian recipes as well as those with meats.
Best For
Anyone who loves the complex and layered flavours of Korean cooking or wants to explore Asian cuisine.
Cooking Level
Intermediate. The recipes have layers and ingredients you’ll have to source from a Korean supermarket.They have the same vibe as Ottolenghi – packed with flavour and steps. Not recipes you’ll create in a rush.
I’m sharing the recipe for Japchae – sweet potato glass noodles that are served with barbeque beef and spinach. I struggled to find sweet potato noodles, so I went for these Korean shirataki noodles which had no taste and a very interesting chewy texture. Despite the texture, they worked with this dish which had all the sweet, savoury layered flavour you expect from Korean cooking. This recipe has a lot of steps and uses 3 recipes from the cookbook, but the end result is worth the time and ingredients. It’s a great representation of Korean food.
Japchae aka sweet potato glass noodles from Cook Korea
Ingredients
Sweet potato glass noodles
- 170 g sweet potato starch noodles
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion cut into 5cm lengths
- 1 carrot cut into thin matchsticks
- 4-5 dried shitake mushrooms soaked in warm water for 2-3 hours, cut into strips
- soy marinated barbequed beef (see recipe below)
- seasoned English spinach (see recipe below)
Dressing
- ¼ C soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp caster sugar
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Soy Marinated Beef
- 170 g beef tenderloin or ribeye
- 1 spring onion cut into 5cm lengths
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Seasoned English spinach
- 150 g English spinach
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- salt to taste
Instructions
Sweet potato glass noodles
- Cut the sweet potato starch noodles in half using a pair of kitchen scissors. Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil over heat. Add the noodles and cook according to the packet instructions until soft and chewy. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Combine the noodles with 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a large bowl and mix well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until the noodles are translucent. Return the noodles to the bowl.
- In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil, add the onion and spring onion and stir-fry for 1-minute, until the onion is a little translucent. Add the carrots and stir-fry for another minute, then transfer to the bowl with the noodles.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the same pan, add the mushroom and marinated beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the beef has browned. Add to the noodles.
- Add the seasoned spinach to the noodle bowl, pour over the remaining dressing, and toss everything together with your hands. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Divide among serving bowls and serve warm.
Dressing
- To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
Soy Marinated Beef
- Cut the beef in half lengthways lengthways in two strips, then slice each half against the grain in 3mm slices. Combine the beef slices and spring onion in a large bowl and set aside.
- To make the marinade, put all the ingredients into a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the marinade over the beef and, using your hands, mix well until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Follow the instructions in Sweet potato glass noodles to cook.
Seasoned English spinach
- Prepare a bowl of iced water and set aside.
- Wash the spinach under cold running water to remove any dirt. Shake off any excess water, then set aside.
- Bring the large saucepan of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, then drain and immediately refresh in ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave the spinach to chill in the water for 10 minutes, then drain and trim the roots.
- Spread the spinach out on a chopping board, then cut the steams and leaves in 5cm lengths. Gather the spinach with both hands and squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Loosen up the leaves and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss everything together with your hands. Season to taste with salt.
Cook Korea is published by Smith Street Book and distributed by Jonathan Ball Publishers. It is available here.
