Korean-style boiled fish stew with an asparagus salad
When we first came across today's main course, described in Chang Sun-Young's classic A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes as 'hard-boiled mackerel', we were as sceptical as we were intrigued. While the idea went against every fish-cooking mantra we knew, a large, fatty fish actually stands up rather well to a fairly long boil, and the process firms it up nicely, so you can pick up chunks of fish while leaving the bones (essential to give body and flavour to the broth) in the bowl. Our all-time favourite version of this dish was at the now defunct Jeju Hang restaurant in Seoul, where they served it with plump, broth-imbued half-moons of Korean radish and a condiment of fermented cutlass fish innards, as well as perfectly steamed rice. The salad, meanwhile, is a seasonal take on one of Jeju Hang's side dishes (the original used seaweed instead of asparagus), and its mild, nutty, herbaceous flavour is the perfect foil to the sweet, spicy fish.
Source your mackerel carefully, because many UK fisheries are now so overfished as to be unconscionable – the ones we use are line-caught in the southwest, which is one of the UK's few remaining sustainable mackerel fisheries; otherwise, use big fat herrings instead. Most large supermarkets sell gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste) nowadays, while doenjang (Korean soybean paste) and gochugaru (Korean chilli powder) can both be found in any Asian supermarket (the doenjang can, at a pinch, be replaced with miso). As for the kelp, while it's edible and very tasty, its main purpose is to impart umami to the broth and fish. Steamed rice is a non-negotiable alongside.
Prep 20 minCook 30 minServes 4
For the seasoning sauce120g soy sauce
120g mirin
40g peeled garlic (about six or seven cloves), roughly chopped
10g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
15g doenjang15g gochujang30g fish sauce
15g gochugaru
For the fish1 mooli, peeled and cut into 2cm-thick rounds (about 500g)
2 small onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 250g)
2 large sustainably-sourced mackerel, or herring, heads and guts removed, then cut across the bone into large chunks (800g-1kg net weight)10g kelp (kombu), or about ½ standard sheet
A few finely sliced spring onions, to serve
Steamed rice, to serve
First make the seasoning sauce. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz smooth.
Lay the mooli rounds in a single layer in a wide, shallow saucepan, then layer the sliced onion, fish and seaweed on top. Pour the seasoning sauce over the whole lot, then add enough water just to cover the fish. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so the broth is at a lively simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes, regularly basting the fish, until the fish is cooked through, the mooli is tender and the sauce is reduced.
Ladle into bowls, garnish with a handful of sliced spring onions and serve with steamed rice.
Prep 10 minPress 15-30 minCook 20 minServes 4
½ small block firm tofu (about 140g)50g pine nuts (about 3 tbsp), plus extra for serving1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp readymade English mustard
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey2 red dates, pitted and roughly chopped (optional but recommended)2-3 tbsp dashi broth, or waterSalt and black pepper2 bunches asparagus (English, ideally), woody stems removed (about 500g net)
Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper or muslin, put a heavy object on top (a can of beans will do) and leave for 15-30 minutes, to press out some of the moisture – the tofu needs to be very dry for this dish.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing them continuously, for three or four minutes, until nicely golden brown all over and the kitchen is filled with the intoxicating aroma of freshly roasted nuts. Tip the nuts into a mortar or food processor, then grind to a powder. Roughly chop or crumble the tofu, add it to the mortar or processor, then mash until smooth.
Add the garlic, mustard, vinegar, honey and red dates, if using, then pound or process again until smooth. Add just enough dashi (or water) to loosen the mix to a thick, creamy dressing, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water for about three minutes, so the spears are cooked but still have some bite to them, then drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and dry on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper.
Arrange the asparagus on a platter, spoon over the tofu dressing, and serve sprinkled with a few extra toasted pine nuts, if you like.
Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson are chefs/co-owners of Bokman and Dongnae, both in Bristol
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The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Korean-style boiled fish stew with an asparagus salad
When we first came across today's main course, described in Chang Sun-Young's classic A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes as 'hard-boiled mackerel', we were as sceptical as we were intrigued. While the idea went against every fish-cooking mantra we knew, a large, fatty fish actually stands up rather well to a fairly long boil, and the process firms it up nicely, so you can pick up chunks of fish while leaving the bones (essential to give body and flavour to the broth) in the bowl. Our all-time favourite version of this dish was at the now defunct Jeju Hang restaurant in Seoul, where they served it with plump, broth-imbued half-moons of Korean radish and a condiment of fermented cutlass fish innards, as well as perfectly steamed rice. The salad, meanwhile, is a seasonal take on one of Jeju Hang's side dishes (the original used seaweed instead of asparagus), and its mild, nutty, herbaceous flavour is the perfect foil to the sweet, spicy fish. Source your mackerel carefully, because many UK fisheries are now so overfished as to be unconscionable – the ones we use are line-caught in the southwest, which is one of the UK's few remaining sustainable mackerel fisheries; otherwise, use big fat herrings instead. Most large supermarkets sell gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste) nowadays, while doenjang (Korean soybean paste) and gochugaru (Korean chilli powder) can both be found in any Asian supermarket (the doenjang can, at a pinch, be replaced with miso). As for the kelp, while it's edible and very tasty, its main purpose is to impart umami to the broth and fish. Steamed rice is a non-negotiable alongside. Prep 20 minCook 30 minServes 4 For the seasoning sauce120g soy sauce 120g mirin 40g peeled garlic (about six or seven cloves), roughly chopped 10g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 15g doenjang15g gochujang30g fish sauce 15g gochugaru For the fish1 mooli, peeled and cut into 2cm-thick rounds (about 500g) 2 small onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 250g) 2 large sustainably-sourced mackerel, or herring, heads and guts removed, then cut across the bone into large chunks (800g-1kg net weight)10g kelp (kombu), or about ½ standard sheet A few finely sliced spring onions, to serve Steamed rice, to serve First make the seasoning sauce. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz smooth. Lay the mooli rounds in a single layer in a wide, shallow saucepan, then layer the sliced onion, fish and seaweed on top. Pour the seasoning sauce over the whole lot, then add enough water just to cover the fish. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so the broth is at a lively simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes, regularly basting the fish, until the fish is cooked through, the mooli is tender and the sauce is reduced. Ladle into bowls, garnish with a handful of sliced spring onions and serve with steamed rice. Prep 10 minPress 15-30 minCook 20 minServes 4 ½ small block firm tofu (about 140g)50g pine nuts (about 3 tbsp), plus extra for serving1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tsp readymade English mustard 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp honey2 red dates, pitted and roughly chopped (optional but recommended)2-3 tbsp dashi broth, or waterSalt and black pepper2 bunches asparagus (English, ideally), woody stems removed (about 500g net) Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper or muslin, put a heavy object on top (a can of beans will do) and leave for 15-30 minutes, to press out some of the moisture – the tofu needs to be very dry for this dish. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing them continuously, for three or four minutes, until nicely golden brown all over and the kitchen is filled with the intoxicating aroma of freshly roasted nuts. Tip the nuts into a mortar or food processor, then grind to a powder. Roughly chop or crumble the tofu, add it to the mortar or processor, then mash until smooth. Add the garlic, mustard, vinegar, honey and red dates, if using, then pound or process again until smooth. Add just enough dashi (or water) to loosen the mix to a thick, creamy dressing, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water for about three minutes, so the spears are cooked but still have some bite to them, then drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and dry on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Arrange the asparagus on a platter, spoon over the tofu dressing, and serve sprinkled with a few extra toasted pine nuts, if you like. Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson are chefs/co-owners of Bokman and Dongnae, both in Bristol
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Ogbonge UN report wey chook eye for Nigeria, South Africa and oda countries, reveal why fertility rates dey go down
One new report by di United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), don warn of a global norm wia fertility rates dey go down. Di agency don take dia strongest line yet on fertility decline, warning say hundreds of millions of pipo no dey able to get di number of children dem want, citing di very high cost of parenthood and di lack of a suitable partner as some of di reasons. UNFPA survey 14,000 pipo in 14 countries about dia fertility intentions. One in five say dem never get or expect say dem go get dia desired number of children. Di countries dem survey na - South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, US, India, Indonesia, Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria - wey account for a third of di global population. Dem include a mix of low, middle and high-income countries and those with low and high fertility. UNFPA also survey young adults and those wey don pass dia reproductive years. "Di world don begin see an unprecedented decline in fertility rates," na so Dr Natalia Kanem, head of UNFPA tok. "Most of di pipo we survey want two or more children. Fertility rates dey fall in large part becos many feel say dem dey unable to create di families dem want. And dat na di real crisis," she tok. Social and economic barriers, not choice, na im dey drive global fertility crisis: UNFPA Di UN Population Fund (UNFPA) wen dem unveil dia flagship State of World Population report on Tuesday, warn say a rising number of pipo dey denied di freedom to start families due to skyrocketing living costs, persistent gender inequality, and deepening uncertainty about di future. Di report argue say wetin really dey threat na pipo ability to choose freely wen – and weda – dem go get children. Di report rely on a recent UNFPA/YouGov survey wey cover14 countries wey togeda represent 37 per cent of di global population. So of di reasons dem identify include: Money worries Economic barriers na di top factor, with 39 per cent of respondents wey cite financial limitations as di main reason for having fewer children dan dem go like. Fear for di future – from climate change to war – and job insecurity follow, cited by 19 per cent and 21 per cent of respondents, respectively. Thirteen per cent of women and eight per cent of men point to di unequal division of domestic labour as a factor wey make dem get fewer children dan desired. Di survey also reveal say one in three adults don experience an unintended pregnancy, one in four feel unable to have a child at dia preferred time and one in five report say dem dey under pressure to have children wey dem no want. Fertility crisis Di report warn against simplistic and oda responses to falling birth rates, such as baby bonuses or fertility targets, wey no dey work most times and e dey risk violating human rights. Instead, UNFPA dey ask goments to expand choices by removing barriers to parenthood wey dia populations don identify. Recommended actions include to make parenthood more affordable through beta investments in housing, decent work, paid parental leave and access to comprehensive reproductive health services. Immigration factor Di agency also dey encourage goments to view immigration as a key strategy to address labour shortages and maintain economic productivity inside dis declining fertility. Regarding gender inequality, di report dey call for addressing stigma against involved fathers, workplace norms wey dey push mothers out of di workforce, restrictions on reproductive rights, and di widening gender gaps in attitudes among younger generations wey also dey contribute to rising singlehood. Di survey, wey be pilot for research in 50 countries later dis year, dey limited in dia scope. Wen e comes to age groups within countries for example, di sample sizes dey too small to make conclusions. But some findings dey clear. In all countries, 39% of pipo say financial limitations don prevent dem from having a child. Di highest response na for Korea (58%), di lowest na for Sweden (19%). In total, only 12% of pipo cite infertility - or difficulty in conceiving - as a reason for not having di number of children dem want. But dat figure dey higher in countries including Thailand (19%), di US (16%), South Africa (15%), Nigeria (14%) and India (13%). "Dis na di first time wey [di UN] don really go all-out on low fertility issues," na so Prof Stuart Gietel-Basten, demographer for Hong Kong University of Science and Technology tok. Until recently, di agency bin dey focus heavily on women wey get more children than dem want and di "unmet need" for contraception. Still, di UNFPA dey ask for caution in response to low fertility. "Right now, wetin we dey see na a lot of rhetoric of catastrophe, either overpopulation or shrinking population, wey dey lead to dia kind of exaggerated response, and sometimes a manipulative response," Dr Kanem tok. "In terms of trying to get women to have more children, or fewer." She point out say 40 years ago China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Turkey all bin dey worried say dia populations dey too high. But by 2015, dem want to boost fertility. "We want try as far as possible to avoid those countries starting any kind of panicky policies," Prof Gietel-Basten tok. "We dey see how dem dey use low fertility, population ageing, population stagnation as an excuse to implement nationalist, anti-migrant policies and gender conservative policies," e tok. UNFPA find say one even bigger barrier to children dan finances na lack of time. For many women wey dey hustle for busy cities and dey do different kind of jobs, dat na true.
Reuters
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