Weeknight BiBimBap


 Hello all. How are you? I hope you were able to find things to nourish you this week, whether figuratively or literally.

 In my 20s, I was living in Edmonton. The University of Alberta Student Union Building was home to an unassuming eatery that offered homey Asian fare at wallet-friendly prices. Within that unassuming space, I devoured bronzed skewers of sticky-sweet chicken teriyaki and, therein, I had my first taste of BiBimBap. 

Bibimbap (pronounced "bee-BIM-bop"), is a mixed bowl incorporating steamed white rice with assorted vegetables in a savoury sauce. It is usually served with an egg, sunny side up. The textures in the bowl are luscious, soft and alternately crispy and crunchy and the flavour profile is smoky, slightly sweet and slightly spicy.  The (optional) addition of kimchi adds a pleasing note of acidity. 

In a fit of culinary nostalgia, I attempted to replicate BiBimBap in my own kitchen, to the best of my ability. The first recipe I tried turned out fine. The dish was labour intensive to make. While there is nothing wrong with employing time and a little elbow grease in the kitchen in the service of remarkable meal, I wanted to figure out a way that I might enjoy BiBimBap on a weeknight. 

Happily, with assistance from the experts at America's Test Kitchen and a bit of retooling, I was able to recreate a bibimbap bowl in less than half the time it took me to prepare it originally. None of the original flavours were compromised.

BiBimBap can  be adapted for vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians or omnivores. I will supply you with a few suggestive alternatives. These will be listed below the recipe.

Gochujang, the sauce ingredient listed, is a deep, fiery red, moderately spicy fermented chili paste. Look for it at your local grocery store in the Asian section or in Chinatown.  If you are intolerant to spice, or you do not have room in your fridge for yet another condiment,  you can substitute the gochujang with hoisin sauce, which has a similar flavor profile. If you like, spike the hoisin with a spoonful of your favourite hot sauce, (sriracha would work great), or omit the hot sauce altogether. Your bibimbap will still be delicious.

I have amalgamated the vegetables so they are prepped together in the spirit of time-saving. However, if what you love about BiBimBap is the different vegetables, arranged tidily in beautiful concentric circles on top of the bowl, you may saute each ingredient separately and arrange accordingly.  They say we eat with the eye. So if aesthetics are important to you go for it.  There is no WRONG way to eat BiBimBap.  And it is so fun to say!

I have added a step where you can crisp the rice in a frying pan (I love the golden brown crispy crust). but you can omit this step if you prefer. You can also omit the kimchi if you do not care for it. I love it, but my husband hates vinegary-pickly things (the philistine!),  Kimchi is a spicy, pickled cabbage popular in Korea. It is crunchy and spicy and it contains live cultures that are great for your microbiome.  

Read below for the recipe, which I have adapted and revised, from a recipe from ATK's Bowls Cookbook.  

This recipe serves 2 but it can easily be doubled.  

                        BI BIM BAP (Serves 2)

 4 teaspoons vegetable oil

5 oz (5 cups) spinach

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin coins

2 scallions (green onion), minced

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp, cooked white rice (I use jasmine but long grain, basmati, brown or black rice would work)

2 sunny side up fried eggs

1 1/2 tsp minced peeled ginger

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp sugar

10 oz mushrooms (white or cremini)

1/2 cup kimchi, chopped coarsely (optional)


For the Gochujang Sauce:

1/4 cup gochujang or hoisin sauce

3 tbsp water

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

Heat 2 tsp oil in a 12" non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add  mushrooms carrot, scallions, soy sauce, garlic, mirin and sugar. Cook until carrots are tender and the mushrooms have browned and released their liquid. Add spinach and cook until wilted.  Transfer vegetables to a bowl, cover with foil to keep warm. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil (you may need to add a glug or two more) in now empty skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add rice and firmly press into a compact even layer, cover, and cook, without stirring, until rice begins to get crispy (about 2 minutes). Uncover, reduce heat and continue to cook until the bottom of your rice is golden brown (4 to 6 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. 

While the rice is crisping (watch carefully or it will burn), make the gochujang sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang (or hoisin), water, sesame oil and sugar). Set aside. 

If you are serving this with eggs, fry two eggs sunny side up in a separate skillet.  Divide rice among two individual serving bowls. Top with vegetables and the fried egg. Drizzle with the gochujang (hoisin) sauce. Serve and enjoy.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOWL:

To make it vegan - Omit the eggs and use vegan kimchi. If you like, you could top your bowl with cubed tofu.

To make it omnivore - Add some raggedy slices of pan-seared steak in place of, or in addition to, the mushrooms.

Make it extra crunchy - Top with blanched bean sprouts and/or a few seeded, thinly sliced, half moons of crisp English cucumber.

If you try the recipe, it would be great if you would leave a comment and let me know how it went for you. That's all for now.  Until next time. Take care! xx


 


 

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