Grilled Tilapia with Makgeolli and Doenjang (Korean Rice Ale and Soybean Paste) paired with

For two years now, several friends and I have held a tradition of exchanging gifts on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The idea originated from my friend Gabe after none of us got our act together to do a gift exchange during the typical holiday season. So, we chose the next holiday everyone would be in town for, a tradition was born. This year I was chosen by my Korean friend Dolim to be given a gift. She knows how much Brit and I love to cook and to try new recipes, especially after we made Jengban Mak Guksu, and got for me a Korean inspired cookbook: The Kimchi Chronicles. I randomly decided I wanted to cook some fish, went through the index, and found this recipe. We decided against using a whole fish and instead just bought frozen fillets from TJs. Brit found a great recipe for sautéing portobello mushrooms and also made some brown rice on the side. The fish was cooked wonderfully and had a really great flavor to it. Overall a great meal.

Grilled Tilapia with Makgeolli and Doenjang (Korean Rice Ale and Soybean Paste)
(adapted from The Kimchi Chronicles)

Serves 4

1.5 lbs tilapia fillets (adapted from the original suggestion of whole black sea bass)
3 tbsp doenjang (soybean paste) - we bought from Maxx's
3-4 tbsp rice vinegar (I added a little bit more to balance the marinade)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine (adapted from the original suggestion of makgeolli, a Korean rice ale)
2 tbsp shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
Scallions, thinly sliced

Whisk together the soybean paste, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, shallots, and ginger. Generously cover the fillets with the marinade for at least 20 minutes at room temperature or 4 hours in the fridge.

Pre-heat a grill pan until it is hot. Grill the fish for 5-6 minutes on each side while basting with additional marinade. You can tell that the fish is fully cooked with a knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the fish. Let the fish rest for a few minutes and garnish with scallions


Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms
(adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe)

4 Portobello mushrooms, gills removed and diced
3 shallots, chopped
1.5 tbsp butter
Scallions, sliced
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Melt the butter in a saute pan and cook the shallots for 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the liquid given off by the mushrooms is mostly evaporated, about 10-12 minutes later. Meanwhile, mix the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar together. Once the mushrooms are done, stir in the sauce and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with scallions

Jengban Mak Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles on Platter)

Brit sent me a recipe for a fantastic looking Korean dish that we both knew we had to try. The recipe comes from a blog that Brit reads of a couple living in The States both of whom are originally from Korea. I later showed the recipe to a Korean friend of mine who confirmed how good the dish is and was excited for us to try it.

For our first time making this, it took us quite a while. We didn't plan things out very well, and probably used every bowl in the kitchen in the preparation, but it was well worth it in the end. I also really wanted to prepare the dish so that it could be authentically presented; the noodles get placed in the middle of the dish with the sauce on top and the chopped vegetables around. Everything then gets mixed together with chopsticks and hungry dinner guests are allowed to dig in.

We doubled the quantities of the ingredients listed below, but unfortunately did not have enough of the red chili paste to double the sauce. While the sauce was still delicious, the complete quantity of red chili paste would have been preferable and will definitely be utilized in the future. We also added in red pepper to our included vegetables, which is not as authentically Korean, but added a nice crunch and color to the recipe.

Jengban Mak Guksu
(Originally posted on the Bap Story Korean food blog)

Serves 2-4

1 box of Soba noodles (we've found that the Annie Chuns brand holds up the best for leftovers)
Cucumber, sliced thin
Carrots, sliced into matchsticks
Cabbage, sliced into matchsticks
Red bell pepper, sliced thin
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin

Sauce:
4 tbsp red chili paste
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp plum sauce
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seeds

Garnish:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp seaweed, shredded (we bought some dried seaweed from Maxx's produce that we rehydrated in warm water)

The important part of this dish is the presentation. Place the cooked soba noodles (according to the box instructions) in the middle of a large platter. Surround the noodles with all of the vegetables. Pour the sesame oil, sauce, and seaweed on top of the noodles. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!