There are many, many variations on jeotgal, a salty and fermented condiment that is a classic part of Korean cuisine. My recipe is simple enough for the home cook, yet delivers on the traditional bold flavours that are the hallmark of jeotgal. I love it with pork, but feel free to use it as a condiment for charcuterie, roasted fatty meats or just serve over rice with wilted vegetables.
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SPICY OYSTER JEOTGAL WITH PORK SAUSAGE
Start to finish: 2 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 4
- 12 medium oysters (such as Bluepoint)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the marinade:
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 small serrano peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 pork sausage links
- 1 cup cooked rice
- Boston or bibb Lettuce leaves
Shuck the oysters into a medium bowl. Toss with the salt, then let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the jeotgal. In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the gochujang, sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, serrano peppers and scallion. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and set aside.
After 1 hour, rinse the oysters with clean water and return to the bowl. Add the hot chili liquid and stir gently. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
When ready to serve, in a medium skillet over medium-high, brown the sausages. Slice them into rounds and arrange on a serving plate. Transfer the oysters to individual serving ramekins and accompany with the rice and lettuce. Use the lettuce leaves as wraps, filling each with rice, a slice of sausage and an oyster with sauce.
Nutrition information per serving: 390 calories; 210 calories from fat (54 per cent of total calories); 24 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 1,630 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 15 g protein.
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