Sautéed Squid and Kimchi, Ojingeo Bokkum

Delicious ojingeo pokkum is one of the dishes responsible for Korean cuisine’s reputation as a healthy, spicy and riotously hot cuisine. Abundant worldwide, squid is popular in Korean cooking. It is loaded with protein and easy to prepare.

Serves 4, 25 minutes to cook

Ingredients:

2 pounds squid, 2 or 3 count

Yangnyomkoch’ujang (Korean Hot Red Pepper Sauce): 3 tablespoons koch’ujang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated Korean pear, 2 tablespoons dry vermouth, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ pound sweet onions, slice into ½ inch dices

3 fresh Korean hot red peppers, sliced diagonally, ¼ inch thin

3 fresh Korean hot green peppers, sliced diagonally, ¼ inch thin

1 large sweet green onion (taepa), white and green part only, sliced diagonally, ¼ inch thin

¼ green bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch thin slices

¼ red bell pepper, cut into ¼ thin slices

1 pound zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ½ inch half moons

1 pound broccoli florets

5 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 tablespoon Korean hot red pepper powder

1 cup mature cabbage kimchi, finely diced

Directions:

Clean the squid and blanch in water for not more than 1 minute. Drain and slice into ½ inch rings. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Mix well and set aside. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, until hot. Add the onions in one layer and caramelize for 2 minutes, without disturbing. With a flat spatula, turn over and cook for 1 minute, without disturbing. Add the red and green peppers, large sweet onions, and the red and green bell peppers. Sauté 1 minute. Add the zucchini and broccoli. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the squid, garlic, hot pepper powder, kimchi and the sauce. Sauté for 1 more minute, tossing all lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note: In place of squid, you may use octopus. To retain their protein and tender texture, they should be cooked for less than 1 minute or more than 1 hour.