Name: Restaurant Shik’s bo ssäm
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Lettuce leaves and freshly shucked oysters, to serve; Blanched soybean sprouts dressed with sesame oil, salt, garlic and spring onions, to serve; Pear and radish kimchi; 200 gm daikon, cut into julienne; 2 tbsp caster sugar; 3 tsp rice wine vinegar; 1 nashi pear, cut into julienne; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tbsp gochugaru (see note); 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 15 gm piece ginger, finely chopped; 3 tsp roasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve; Braised pork; 120 gm doenjang (see note); 125 ml (1/2 cup) mirin; 200 ml soju or sake (see note); 100 ml light soy sauce; 1 tsp brown sugar; 5 garlic cloves, bruised; 1/2 onion; 3 spring onions, white part only; 3 star anise; 2 fresh bay leaves; 1 cinnamon quill; 1 kg piece pork belly; Ssämjang; 120 gm doenjang (see note); 50 gm gochujang (see note); 25 gm brown sugar; 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped

Restaurant Shik’s bo ssäm

The Korean dish of braised pork, oysters, jangs and kimchi is as interactive as it is delicious.

Serves 6

Prep

30M

Cook

1H 30M

Total

The ssämjang and kimchi aren’t hard to make, but they’re also easy to buy from your favourite Asian grocer. Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the pork and prepare the kimchi. If you’re on a kimchi-making roll, we have more kimchi recipes here. And if you find yourself asking “exactly what are Korean jangs?”, we have the low-down.

Ingredients

Lettuce leaves and freshly shucked oysters, to serve

Blanched soybean sprouts dressed with sesame oil, salt, garlic and spring onions, to serve

Pear and radish kimchi

200 gm daikon, cut into julienne

2 tbsp caster sugar

3 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 nashi pear, cut into julienne

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp gochugaru (see note)

5 garlic cloves, crushed

15 gm piece ginger, finely chopped

3 tsp roasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve

Braised pork

120 gm doenjang (see note)

125 ml (1/2 cup) mirin

200 ml soju or sake (see note)

100 ml light soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

5 garlic cloves, bruised

1/2 onion

3 spring onions, white part only

3 star anise

2 fresh bay leaves

1 cinnamon quill

1 kg piece pork belly

Ssämjang

120 gm doenjang (see note)

50 gm gochujang (see note)

25 gm brown sugar

1/2 small white onion, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Method

1.For kimchi, combine daikon, sugar, vinegar and 1½ tsp salt in a bowl and stand, covered, at room temperature to ferment overnight. Drain, squeeze out liquid, then combine with remaining ingredients.

2.For braised pork, place ingredients, except pork, in a large plastic container with 1 litre water and season with salt. Submerge pork and refrigerate, covered, to marinate overnight. Transfer pork and liquid to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until pork is tender (1½ hours).

3.For ssämjang, stir ingredients in a bowl to combine.

4.When pork is cool enough to handle, slice and serve with lettuce leaves, oysters, kimchi, ssämjang, soybean sprouts and extra pine nuts.

Doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, gochugaru, Korean chilli flakes, and gochujang, Korean chilli paste, are available from Asian grocers. Soju is available from select bottle shops.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Lisa Featherby