Sundubu Jjigae

Sundubu Jjigae (순두부찌개) is a popular Korean spicy soft tofu stew. It's made with uncurdled tofu, which gives it a silky texture, and is often combined with ingredients like seafood, pork, or kimchi. The stew is flavored with gochujang (Korean chili paste) or gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), giving it a rich, spicy taste.

Ingredients:

350 grams (12 ounces) Korean soft tofu

110 grams (3.9 ounces) littleneck clams, cleaned

4 banana prawns (80g/2.8 ounces), head, shells, and guts removed

100 grams (3.5 ounces) enoki mushrooms, bottom 4-5 cm stem removed and rinsed briefly in cold running water

2 shiitake mushrooms (20g/0.7 ounces), cleaned, stem removed, and thinly sliced

1 egg

1 stalk green onion (10g/0.4 ounces), diagonally thinly sliced

1 ½ cups dried kelp and dried anchovy stock

1 tablespoon Korean chili oil (or neutral cooking oil, e.g., rice bran oil)

2 tablespoons Korean chili powder (or Korean chili flakes, gochugaru)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

½ tablespoon Korean fish sauce

½ tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman regular or Korean soup soy sauce)

Fine sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 dash sesame oil (about 1/2 tsp)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the broth: In a pot, bring the dried kelp and dried anchovy stock to a boil.

2. Cook the seafood: Add the cleaned clams and prawns to the boiling stock. Cook until the clams open and the prawns turn pink. Remove the seafood and set aside.

3. Make the base: In a separate pot, heat the Korean chili oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and Korean chili powder, stirring until fragrant.

4. Combine ingredients: Pour the prepared broth into the pot with the chili oil mixture. Add the enoki and shiitake mushrooms, and bring to a boil.

5. Add tofu: Gently add the soft tofu to the pot, breaking it into large chunks.

6. Season: Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

7. Finish: Add the cooked seafood back into the pot. Crack an egg into the stew and let it cook to your desired doneness. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with green onions.