Korea and Japan · Volume 56, The Haenyeo, the Black Pig and the Kingdom Before Korea
Seonggeguk
Jeju Island
Illustration
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Researched
- Researched from 123 sources in the brief
Sea urchin roe simmered with young seaweed. Historically a measure of hospitality, served to honoured guests because the ingredient was rare and haenyeo-dependent.
As tradition built it
Serves 4. About 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 20g dried miyeok (or 100g fresh, blanched and chopped)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 800ml water or light broth
- 150g fresh sea urchin roe
- to taste salt
Method
- Soak the dried miyeok in water for 15 minutes, then drain and roughly chop.
- Heat the sesame oil in a pot, add the seaweed, and stir-fry briefly, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the water or light broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes until the seaweed has softened fully.
- Gently fold in the sea urchin roe and simmer a further 2 minutes, just enough to warm it through without breaking it down completely.
- Season with salt and serve immediately, while the urchin still holds some texture.
What a modern chef changes
The urchin's texture protected with precise, gentle heat.
Rung 4
Method
- Warm the sea urchin roe separately, off direct heat, in a bowl set over the simmering broth, rather than adding it straight into the pot, so it is brought only to serving temperature rather than risking overcooking in direct contact with a simmering liquid.
- Finish the broth through a fine sieve before the urchin goes in, removing any stray seaweed fragments for a cleaner base the urchin's own flavour can carry.