도토리묵 무침 - DOTORIMUK MUCHIM (ACORN JELLY SALAD)

Recipe taken from The International Table: Recipes from the Seattle Sister Cities

Acorns —the seed of the oak tree —are a common food in Korea. Dishes include pasta, soups, pancakes, and even liquor. These dishes —and acorn jelly (dotorimuk) —can be enjoyed in Daejeon’s Gujeuk Yewoolmook Village (구즉 여울묵, or Acorn Jelly Village). Serves 4–6.

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INGREDIENTS

DOTORIMUK

1/2 cup dotorimuk-garu (acorn

powder/starch). Adjust the recipe to

package instructions.*

3 cups cold water

1/2 tsp salt

SAUCE

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 tsp sugar or honey

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

3 scallions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp–1 Tbsp gochujang paste*,

depending on preference

SALAD

2 cups lettuce, chopped

1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Korean long red chili pepper*,

or 1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 Korean long green chili pepper*,

or 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced

3–5 Vietnamese perilla leaves*, or

5-8 large mint leaves, chopped

1 cup chrysanthemum leaves*,

mustard greens, or collard greens

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

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DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dotorimuk. Mix well with a wooden spoon; strain if any lumps remain.

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the dotorimuk mixture for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. After about 4 minutes, small bits of gelatin will begin forming and the mixture will start to thicken. Stir continually until the mixture becomes thick and peaks form and hold their shape—about 9–10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a rectangular glass container or baking pan, approximately 8" × 5". Jiggle the container to help evenly spread the mix. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Cover the container with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 4-7 hours, or until it is completely solid. The texture will be like very firm gelatin.

While the dotorimuk is setting, mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Once the dotorimuk has set, remove it from the refrigerator and turn it out on a cutting board. Slice into bite-size pieces—about 1/4" thick and 2" wide.

Combine all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the dotorimuk and gently mix together. Pour the sauce over top.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.