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.
Today’s snack is ginger taffy. Writer Kim Poong says that it has been a long time for him to see it. Chef Mikael says the smell of taffy is good. That is a plane, which is used to cut large ginger taffy. The local fairs in Insadong sometimes sell it. Back then, Teacher Soomi used to trade empty bottles for those taffies. Chef Yeo used to trade broken or unused nickel kettle or bowls. Writer Poong used to steal unscathed pot to trade for taffies, so his mother used to scold him. Teacher Soomi says that he deserved the beating.
Today’s guest is actress Park Sun-young. She has mentioned that she wants to come to this show to learn cooking. Sun-young is touched to see the Japan episode since she lives abroad; She misses Korean food, especially mother’s hand taste. Teacher Soomi asks Sun-young what she can cook. She replies that she tried making galbi jjim (braised beef short ribs) and dak naengchae (chilled vegetables with chicken), but the flavors are lacking somehow. Because she usually acts, she doesn’t have many chances to learn cooking. Dongmin says that while Teacher acts, she doesn’t do anything. Teacher Soomi mentions that the weather is getting cold these days. The perfect food to eat right now is braised codfish head. Everyone is happy bc that dish is really delicious. Today’s main ingredient is semi-dried codfish.
Recipe: Braised Semi-Dried Codfish
[Not in the video: Starting from November is the season of codfish.]
Writer Kim Poong brought his own knife collection. Chef Mikael points out the tools for picking blue crab. Chef Yeo tells them that even the professional chefs didn’t bring their knife collection. Bluffing Poong says it’s like the art students don’t bring their drafting tubes but the normal students always do.
Cut the semi-dried codfish in half. Chop its tail off. Tear it in half. [Dongmin: Raise your hands. Tear it all off.]
Pour some water into the pan.
Cut codfish in ‘those’ sizes. [Teacher Soomi: I’m scared of anything but food~]
Kim Poong: Teacher, when you’re cooking, you don’t look at our side? It feels like we’re in separate rooms. [Dongmin: Of course, you have to pay attention here.]
Making sauce: ginger juice (to get rid of fishy smell), starchy water (water+flour), lots of chopped garlic, 3 tbsp of yangjo ganjang, 1 tbsp of guk ganjang, lots of red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp of red pepper paste, 1 chopped onion, red/green peppers (a must ingredient)
Teacher Soomi *looks at Kim Poong*: You still haven’t finish cutting the fish? That’s not good!!! Dongmin, go help him! You don’t match with the step! [Kim Poong: I’ll be alright.] You are but I’m not!
Pour bean sprout into the pan. [Dongmin: This many?] [Teacher Soomi: This many!]
Put fish chunks on top of the bean sprout bed. Make sure to expose the flesh to soak up the sauce.
Teacher Soomi: Turn them around, Kim Poong. Do you think the skin will absorb the sauce? You fool! It’s lucky that I inspect his cooking. What? a webtoon writer who cooks? Yeah right, it’s crap!
Add half a cup of water to the sauce and mix it. Ladle the sauce on the fish.
Teacher Soomi asks Dongmin to cook rice.
Cover the pan with the lid and wait for it to boil then give it a taste to your preference.
Let’s prepare warty sea squirts and veggies to put in later.
Dongmin: Ah, Mikael loves Korean food but can’t eat warty sea squirts.
Teacher Soomi: Mikael don’t have to use sea squirts. Give them to me.
Chef Mikael: Ah.. I’ll put them in~
Kim Poong: Can Teacher at least tell us when you start to do something~ You didn’t say anything
Teacher Soomi: Just look~ Watch me! You don’t even study but keep books all over your table~ (Don’t blame others, just watch me~) [Dongmin: Don’t ask how to cut leeks here.] Yeah, I won’t tell. [Kim Poong: It’s my first time here though.] Watch the show before you come.
Cut leeks and chives accordingly.
Flavor it to your preference~ [Teacher Soomi uses soy sauce, lots of red pepper flakes and anchovy extract (good for braising fish)]
Teacher Soomi *tastes her dish*: Oh, this is perfect! [Sun-young: It’s really good!] Right? It’s perfect!
Add warty sea squirts, leeks and starchy water (stir it before adding).
Kim Poong: Why are we preparing starchy water way too early?
Teacher Soomi: Because I want to do it. You can just prepare it now. It’s my fault that we prepare it way ahead.
Kim Poong: Ah, Teacher made a mistake.
Sun-young: I thought there was a reason to make starchy water early.
Teacher Soomi: There is none! I just wanna make Sun-young do it. It’s tiring [with just 1 mistake.]
Ladle the starchy water on top of everything.
Sun-young: It smells really good here.
Dongmin: Whoa, it’s really crazy.
Turn the heat to very low.
Teacher Soomi: If codfish isn’t semi-dried, it’s done now. However, semi-dried codfish has thick skin, so we need to cook it for about 5 minutes more in low heat.
Turn off the heat and add crown daisy. But before that add plum extract to get rid of fishy smell. Cover with a lid again.
It’s taste testing time!
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Yeo’s dish*: Wow, look at this! Sun-young can have it first. Eat this with crown daisy later. [Sun-young: Huum~ It’s really tasty~] It’s really delicious! [Dongmin: The meat is really firm. It’ll be perfect if we stir fry it with rice.] Yeah, make fried rice with the left-over liquid.
Teacher Soomi *looks at Kim Poong’s dish*: If it doesn’t taste good, I’ll say it out-front! Oh~ you did well~ Isn’t it so delicious? Ah, it tastes better with water celery. We didn’t eat it with celery in chef Yeo’s dish. [Celery] makes this place’s dish tasted better. [Kim Poong: It’s all thanks to Teacher’s instructions.] [Dongmin: The face is different, but the comment is still the same.] [Kim Poong: That hyung’s personality and mine are similar.]
Teacher Soomi *looks at chef Mikael’s dish*: Don’t take out too much. Save it to eat for later. [Dongmin: Eung.. flavor.. flavor..seems.. okay??] [Sun-young: It feels like the Western taste.] Did you add all of the red pepper flakes in? [Chef Mikael: Yes, all of them.] Add more, it’s not spicy enough. [Kim Poong: I wish the student would do it instead.] [Chef Mikael: Ah~Why~] [Sun-young: Weren’t you the one who was late at preparing the fish earlier?] Mikael, turn the heat off after 3 more minutes. Ok, it’s all good.
Everyone says, “Thanks for the food~” Teacher Soomi tells them that the fish’s head also has a lot of meat. Sun-young says that it’s her first time knowing how delicious is braised codfish. She wonders how everyone can eat so much in the show, but now that she is here, she understands them. Dongmin says that braised monkfish and codfish are completely tasted different. Semi-dried codfish is more delicious. It has a very deep flavor. Dongmin suggests viewers to try making braised semi-dried codfish at home. Chef Mikael says that it’s very spicy. Teacher Soomi and Sun-young says that it’s not spicy for them. Chef Mikael clarifies that it’s spicy but tasty and pulls you in. Kim Poong says that chef Mikael usually doesn’t eat spicy food, but while doing this show, he starts to eat spicy food. Teacher asks why chef Mikael eats so much. Sun-young adds that didn’t he say it was spicy.
Teacher Soomi asks Kim Poong to cook something with the left-over liquid. He should give up if he doesn’t have confident. Kim Poong is always confident about his cooking, but it may not taste good. Teacher affirms that it’s the confidence to make the good taste here.
Kim Poong uses udon noodles. Sprinkle some curry powder. Add sugar and udon noodle to the sauce. It’s done.
Dongmin suggests Kim Poong to taste it first before serving everyone. Kim Poong thinks that it tastes fine but just a bit bland. Teacher Soomi says that it tastes delicious and approves Kim Poong’s cooking. Chef Yeo thinks that the sweet taste saves this dish. Teacher Soomi thinks that it was ruined when Kim Poong added sugar earlier. She thinks about how to lie to tell him that it tastes good.
Recipe: Beef and Radish Stir-fry
Cut radish into thin strips.
Turn the heat to medium and stir fry minced beef in the pan without adding oil.
Put the beef to the side of the pan and add radish strips.
Dongmin: Hold on. Writer Kim Poong is late again.
Kim Poong: Ah, put the radish in already?
Dongmin: When are you gonna add radish? It’s now… You haven’t stir-fried your beef yet. This man is in trouble.
Teacher Soomi: What have you been doing?
Dongmin: Look at chef Yeo, who is doing well. You should look at him and learn.
Kim Poong: Why is everyone so fast? Really fast!
Add 1 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp of salt to the radish and shredded red pepper.
Dongmin: Did everyone see? Don’t use your chopsticks; Use your hands to stir it. *Looks at Mikael* Yes, that’s the way Mikael.
Teacher Soomi: Look~ I didn’t add any water.
Sun-young: This smells amazing.
Slowly stir fry them in the pan.
Kim Poong: Teacher, what to do if I think the radish tastes salty?
Teacher Soomi: Make it bloat in cold water, rinse with pressed oil and throw it out. It’s salty now? Let’s me see. [Kim Poong: I put a bit too much of salt.] Yeah, it’s salty. But it should be fine with rice. Ok, let’s save it with mineral water.
[Fixing methods: 1. Save ruined by pouring mineral water. 2. After rinse out the saltiness, strain out the water. 3. Adjust the taste with sesame oil and sugar. Beef and radish stir-fry is death.]
Teacher Soomi: It’s still salty. How much salt did you add in?
[Not in the video: Finish cooking with sesame oil and leek. Btw, Teacher Soomi turns Kim Poong’s dish to a delicious radish soup. lol]
Recipe: Seafood Pancake
In medium sized mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs.
[Tip for cooking eggs: Beating and letting eggs rest 5 minutes before cooking will help making them smooth and no clumps.]
The most important thing is the batter. There is wheat flour, short grain rice flour, sweet rice flour and pancake mix.
Chef Mikael: Teacher, can we find these flours aboard?
Teacher Soomi: Buy them here in Korea if you’re going aboard!
Making pancake batter: 4 heaping tbsp of wheat flour, 2 tbsp of pancake mix (for crunchiness), 1 tbsp of short gain rice flour and 1 tbsp of sweet rice flour (optional for rice flours).
[Teacher is making a big portion for the staffs, so she adds 3 more tbsp of wheat flour.]
Add 1 tsp of salt. [Teacher Soomi: We’ll have dipping sauce later.]
Add water accordingly. [Teacher Soomi’s batter is runny, so she sprinkles a bit of sweet rice flour.]
Dongmin: Just to let everyone knows, it doesn’t matter adding 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp of flour. Adjust as you go.
Teacher Soomi: Me too. I agree if you put it that way.
Kim Poong: This is really my style. That’s how I do it too.
Look at Teacher Soomi’s batter for preference. [The batter is thick not runny.]
Add 1 handful of garlic to the batter [since it’ll have seafood.]
Chop small octopus in bite sizes.
Teacher Soomi: Wear gloves if you’re scared. Chop it off. You won’t die. I’ll do it for you. Truthfully, it’s disgusting. Mikael, you chop them all over there.
Dongmin: Teacher, it feels like you’re swapping place with Mikael.
Teacher Soomi: To viewers who just turn on the channel, this is still Soomi’s Side Dishes.
Three main ingredients for seafood pancake: small octopus, oyster and clam.
Cut red/green peppers thinly.
Measure the size of the fry pan and cut green onion according to its size.
Drizzle lots of oil in a low heated pan. Add a ladle of batter. (Don’t make it thick.)
Place green onion, small octopus, oyster, clam and red/green pepper on top. (Press them to the batter.)
Dongmin: Oh, look like deep frying. *looks at chef Yeo* I think Teacher’s pancake is not full with seafood.
Teacher Soomi: Don’t use a lot of seafood, just put enough.
Dongmin: Everyone, come here!
Drizzle egg on top of the pancake. (Make sure to cook in low heat!)
Turn the pancake over.
Kim Poong: If you can’t flip it, use a big plate to do it. [Chef Mikael stops him bc it’s messy with oil and stuff.] Dongmin helps chef Mikael to explain that the hot oil may splash to your hand and break the plate.]
Kim Poong: Chef Yeo is making seafood stir-fry over here.
Teacher Soomi: I has failed at it sometimes bc there are water coming out of those seafood, steaming half of it instead.
Dongmin: Teacher, how about adding water to make spicy seafood stew?
Teacher Soomi: No, that’s not how you do it! Just add more batter to the pancake thick. You can’t do anything else now.
Sun-young makes her 2nd seafood pancake. She thinks she can make it at home now. She shows off her pretty pancake to everyone. Teacher Soomi tells her to take a picture.
Kim Poong: Teacher, can I have a picture with you too?
Teacher Soomi: Nah, let’s eat! *looks at similar looking pancakes* Everyone can spot their own pancake?
Sun-young: Of course, it’s my child.
Teacher Soomi pours makgeolli to everyone.
Teacher Soomi: It feels good to bite into it, making you wonder if it’s octopus or oyster or clam. When you pour egg on top, it tastes even better.
Teacher Soomi praises Sun-young’s pancake.
This week’s episode was so entertaining. Kim Poong was hilarious!!! It was such a good change to see clumsy cooking once in awhile. It was so funny from turning the unsavable radish stir-fry to the tasty radish soup. I laughed so hard when he made the same comment as chef Choi. Dongmin was right about different face same comment. Pwahaha
I made pancake like 5 times (?) and failed all those times (well, not really fail, it was edible but just didn’t have that crunchy texture or well-put together like restaurants’ or Teacher Soomi’s seafood pancake.) Now that I watched her cooking, I think my batter was too runny. And I didn’t use that much of oil and had no idea about pouring the egg on top. Obviously, the hardest part was also flipping the pancake. I’m such a novice cook (hahahaha). These tips are pretty useful for me to use in the future~~
Thank you Teacher Soomi!!!!
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