Disclaimer: I’m not Korean or fluent at the language; I can only translate the parts that I understand. There are probably many mistranslations here, but the idea is roughly the same.
Please watch videos for the exact amount of ingredients. Teacher Soomi sometimes uses her hand for measurement, so it’s hard to put the exact amount in words.
Recipe: Seoul Bulgogi
[Not in the video: Peel 1 Asian pear, grate and strain it to get the juice only.]
Teacher Soomi’s Tip: Use pear’s juice not the its flesh for a clean sauce.
Make sure sirloin slices (about 900g) don’t clump together.
Teacher Soomi *sees chef Mikael’s beef slices*: Why do you have so much?
Chef Choi: The meat preparer probably likes chef Mikael.
Dongmin: I think only Teacher Soomi’s portion is small.
Jung Soo: Teacher Soomi just took some from chef Mikael’s.
Add 100mL yangjo ganjang (naturally brewed soy sauce) [Teacher Soomi: can’t be salty] and 1 big tbsp of garlic to pear’s juice.
Teacher Soomi: Bc beef is thinly sliced, make sure to cut the onion thinly too. You’re supposed to put the beef slices into cold water to get rid of blood, but the meat here is really good, so we don’t have to do that.
Jung Soo: Soak beef in cold water before cooking is to get rid of its smell. Do we need to add alcohol to the meat?
Teacher Soomi: You don’t add alcohol in bulgogi. Ah, I forgot to add sugar.
Add 3 tsp of sugar and some sprinkles of black pepper.
Let the meat marinate for 20 minutes.
Teacher Soomi: Seoul bulgogi must have mushrooms.
Tear enoki and oyster mushrooms.
Dongmin: Oh, that’s right. It has mushrooms and dangmyun (Korean sweet potato glass noodle).
Teacher Soomi: That’s all for preparation. Now just need to cook them in a pot.
Turn on the heat. Wait for the pot to get hot before putting in the meat to seal meat juice.
If using too much water for the marinade, the flavor will be off. So after putting the meat in a pot, rinse the sauce bowl with water.
Teacher Soomi: If you add too much water, bulgogi will become jjigae (stew). [Looks at onion slices], earlier when adding beef, I forgot to add onion slices.
Please add onion slices together with beef slices to the pot.
Add dangmyun to the side of the pot before boiling.
Teacher Soomi: The meat is too thin, so you don’t have to cook for long. [Chef Mikael: Low heat or?] No, high heat.
Add enoki mushroom to the side of the pot.
Jung Soo: I feel good to scold the chefs. [Dongmin: I’m their inspectors.]
Teacher Soomi: Don’t follow me. I didn’t get the right measurement earlier.
Dongmin: Everyone is doing the same thing, only Teacher adds extra, but don’t follow her! Adjust the flavor to your taste by adding soy sauce and water.
Add oyster mushroom to the side of the pot.
Jung Soo *scolds chef Yeo*: Don’t scatter the mushroom. Just add to the side and make it pretty.
Chef Mikael [excited man #1]: That’s bc he cut his hair short.
Chef Choi [excited man #2]: Is he just a Chinese man today?
Teacher Soomi: That’s all. Eowoo~ Perfect, the flavor is perfect!
Jung Soo: Yes, perfect!
Dongmin: Is it really the right taste? Ehem. Owoo woo it’s perfect!
Add green onion when everything is cooked and the heat is off.
Drizzle a bit of sesame oil. [Teacher Soomi: Don’t use too much.]
Chef Choi: It’s tasty~ Really delicious
Chef Yeo: Isn’t it a bit bland? [Chef Choi: Really?]
It’s time for evaluation.
Teacher Soomi *tastes bulgogi from chef Mikael*: I’ll taste the dangmyun. [Chef Mikael: Bulgogi is Bulgaria gogi.] [Chef Choi: He’s a comedian from Bulgaria.] It’s good~ Jung Soo, you taste it. [Jung Soo: Need to be more sweet?] For me, it’s good. I don’t like it sweet. [Jung Soo: Ah, sweet matches children’s taste. This is healthy.]
Teacher Soomi *tastes bulgogi from chef Choi*: The meat is great, so whatever you cook, it’s good. Idk but to me, it’s bland. [Jung Soo: I think I can smell the meat.] Really? Add some more black pepper and plum juice. This lacks 3%. [Dongmin: Oh what to do? We have to save it.] Boil it again.
All enjoys chef Mikael’s bulgogi. They usually eat bulgogi for birthday.
Dongmin *heats up*: A person.. next to everyone is about the die, but no one cares! (lol)
The next dish is Korean Style Braised Eggs.
Teacher Soomi: This is for when you’re lazy to eat out and don’t have anything but kimchi and eggs at home.
Recipes: Korean Style Braised Eggs & Stir Fry Dried Shrimp and Garlic Scapes
To a heated pan, add about 600mL, a bit of soy sauce and some clean anchovies (get rid of heads and guts).
Teacher Soomi: Everyone has anchovies at home right? [Chef Mikael: Not at mine]
Continue to add a handful of whole garlic and eggs. Cover with a lid.
Chef Choi: Is this all?
Teacher Soomi: Yes, that’s all.
Jung Soo: What? I just put on an apron and you’re done?
Dongmin: Should we taste it now?
Teacher Soomi: No, wait for it to boil.
Prepare another clean pan to stir fry dried shrimps.
Don’t use a lot of soy sauce bc it will darken shrimps. Soy sauce is for mixing honey.
Jung Soo: Teacher Soomi uses honey rather than sugar.
Chef Choi: We have to pour honey as the same time as her, or else our food won’t taste the same. It’s the most difficult step.
Teacher Soomi: I’ll use the spoon for everyone.
Mix 2 tbsp of honey with soy sauce.
Teacher Soomi: Now is the time to add 3 tsp of sugar for braised eggs [when it’s boiling.]
In a very low heat, roast dried shrimp.
Teacher Soomi *looks at Mikael*: Child, don’t play around…. stir them gently.
Tip: Shrimps can break if stir too strong, so roast them gently for the savory flavor.
Cut garlic scapes into about 5cm.
Teacher Soomi: Show them the size.
Dongmin: I’m coming. Look at these, about 5cm. Ok? I’ll leave [chef Mikael] a sample. [Looks at chef Yeo,] oh you didn’t look at the sample and still cut very well.
Teacher Soomi: It’s a waste but we don’t use garlic bulbs.
Add chopped garlic scapes to the pan.
Gently drizzle honey+soy sauce mixture on top. (Use a moderate amount.)
Chef Mikael *looks at chef Choi*: Ah, you’re not supposed to do that! [Chef Choi: Be quiet, beep.]
Teacher Soomi: What happened? Is something wrong?
Dongmin *inspector-mode on*: Don’t joke among yourself.
Now, turn off the heat. Add a half tbsp of sesame oil and white sesame seeds. [Still have honey+soy sauce left-over.]
Jung Soo: Eum~ It’s so savory~ [Teacher Soomi: If it’s bland, just add salt.]
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Mikael slowly stirring*: They’re burned. [Teacher Soomi told him to stir gently earlier, but chef Mikael did it way too gentle.]
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Choi*: Why are they so dark? He used all of his honey+soy sauce mixture. I didn’t use it all. [Chef Mikael: Look at Teacher’s.] See, pretty pink color becomes black. Stop stirring them.
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Yeo*: They’re perfect… even the flavor is great. [Tells chef Mikael and chef Choi,] go over there and see!
Teacher Soomi: Braised egg is done after adding leek. I’m gonna add the garlic bulbs too. [Chef Choi: I trash mine earlier…] No, I don’t add them with shrimps since they’re messy. But it’s a waste to throw them away.
Add a bit of plum extract to braised eggs.
In medium heat, reduced liquid to have about 1/3 left.
Turn off the heat. Add sesame oil, white sesame seeds and lastly honey to your taste.
Evaluation time~
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Mikael’s*: Look at his stylish dish. It looks pretty. I’ll put mine like this for my guest at home. [After tasting,] it’s bland Mikael, what to do? [Jung Soo: It’s ok if you eat this by itself. But it isn’t right with rice.]
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Choi’s*: You put this many sesame seeds? [Chef Choi: Teacher Soomi whom I respect loves sesame seeds.] Why did you cut it like this? [Chef Choi: I dislike doing the same thing as Mikael’s.] Eum it tastes good!
Chef Choi: It’s better than Mikael’s right? [Dongmin: Yes, of course.]
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Yeo’s*: Oh~ This is perfect. I have nothing else to say. [Gives chef Mikael a taste] How is it from yours? [Chef Mikael: Very different]
Recipe: Braised Ripe Kimchi and Mackerel
Turn the heat on and add a bit of water to the fry pan.
Add the whole ripe kimchi in. Cut the kimchi’s head in the pan [It’s messy if cutting it outside.]
Sauce: add big chunks of onion, red/green peppers, 1 huge tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp of ginger, 2 tbsp of red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp of plum extract, 1 tbsp of cooking wine, 3 heaping tbsp of soy sauce, rice water (shake before adding)
Teacher Soomi: Don’t play around!
Dongmin: We have a different measuring system here! For those at home, you need to get this container for the exact measurement of rice water [about this level]. (lol)
Clean out its gut. [Teacher Soomi: It’s so fresh that it can go back to the sea.]
Cut off the tail. Cut the fish in half and score it (to soak up seasonings).
Don’t throw the head away. [Chef Mikael: Don’t throw anything away from now on.]
Teacher Soomi: Ok, it’s done after adding kimchi and sauce. What else do you want? I don’t have anything else.
Teacher Soomi: Let’s add more water. [Jung Soo: Should we use rice water?] Ah, let’s use rice water. I almost forgot rice water.
Jung Soo: Teacher sometimes forgets things, so I have to remind her.
Dongmin: That is why I get scolded for everything.
Jung Soo: This tastes great with scorched rice.
Teacher Soomi *tastes rice*: It’s hot. Ya ya! Water! Water!
Dongmin: I told you to add cold water. Why did you eat it right away?
Teacher Soomi: Why is it still hot? *scoops hot rice* You eat it!
Put in mackerel chunks and pour the sauce on top of them.
Lower the heat to medium.
Teacher Soomi: It’s bland. I think we need to add more soy sauce.
Jung Soo: It’s good enough. It’s really good!
Teacher Soomi: I think I’m sick. The taste is…
Chef Yeo: It’s bland now, but after cooking for a while, it’ll get to the right flavor.
Jung Soo: It’s very refreshing.
Dongmin: Oh~ It’s really delicious.
Sprinkle 3 more tsp of red pepper flakes for a deeper and prettier red color.
Chef Choi: Look at the visual!
It’s time for evaluation!
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Mikael’s*: Look at the red pepper flakes. You did well. This is really good. But there is some fishy smell. [Jung Soo: It also tastes bitter.] Kimchi is burned on the bottom of the pan.
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Choi’s*: Oh, it’s perfect. [Jung Soo: This is similar to Teacher’s.] Yeah, similar to mine. Dongmin, try this. It has a similar refreshing taste as mine.
Teacher Soomi: Tear the kimchi like this when you eat. This is Korean’s side dish. Let’s go to eat.
Teacher Soomi: It tastes even better with cold rice.
Jung Soo: Mackerel tastes sweet.
Teacher Soomi: Mackerel will be sold out tomorrow.
Jung Soo: There’s not much in Teacher’s recipe.
Chef Choi: Teacher Soomi’s recipes are simple. 1.2.3 Done!
Arghhhhh I love mackerel~~~~ I will definitely make this dish. It looks so simple. In our family, we have braised mackerel with tomato, which is my all time favorite. I can already tell that it tastes delicious even before making it!!!! The weather is getting cold, so braised ripe kimchi and mackerel is perfect to eat according to Teacher Soomi.
How easy is that braised eggs!!!! We have similar braised egg in our family’s menu too. We usually braise egg with pork. It’s super delicious with rice~
For me, this episode’s ingredients are very easy to find. Moreover, the recipes are similar to my own family cooking.
HanaviMeManga 