Recipe: Korean Mixed Rice with Sashimi
A few weeks ago my husband and I were reminiscing about all the fresh seafood and sushi we had when living on the west coast. There was one place in particular that came to mind, in Redondo Beach, CA; The Redondo Beach Crab House. The seafood is so fresh — there are numerous tanks filled with live shrimp, crab and lobster greeting you right when you walk in. You can literally pick the lobster you want to eat for dinner. This restaurant is known for their crab legs, lobster and the Korean dish called, Hwe Dub Bap (Korean Mixed Rice with Sashimi), which I ordered all the time.
Now we live in Madison, Wisconsin where our choices for both Korean food and fresh seafood are limited, and there’s no place in town that makes Hwe Dub Bap.
But that wasn’t going to stop me. I could pick up my own sushi grade fish from Whole Foods, right? Unfortunately, Whole Foods had a slight hiccup and no sushi grade tuna was delivered the day that I was scheduled to pick mine up, and there was, unfortunately, no guarantee I could get it the following week.
This led me to meet the most fabulous little Japanese woman named Tamaki. Tamaki owns a Japanese shop in Madison called The Oriental Shop. This quaint little store has been in business here in Madison for over 35 years. Tamaki and her husband sell all kinds of Japanese food and fish, sushi-grade included, and she knows her fish well. Her distributor is in Chicago but she was able to guarantee when I could get my sushi grade fish.
So my meeting with Tamaki was meant to be. My quick stop into the store turned into the most fun 45 minute visit, and she even gave me some shiso leaves that she had just picked from her garden, behind her shop, to enjoy later.
If you’re ever in Madison, Wisconsin, you need to stop by The Oriental Shop and say hello.
Hwe Dub Bap is one of my favorite dishes to eat, and once you have your sushi-grade fish, it’s extremely easy to make. When selecting sushi-grade fish, choose your favorites but also keep color in mind. I used tuna, yellowtail and salmon.
When slicing your fish, slice at an angle. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s all being tossed together with rice and vegetables anyway.
So, here’s to getting to know your local fish market and trying something new!
Korean Mixed Rice with Sashimi
Serves 2
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the gochujang sauce:
- 1/4 cup
gochujang
- 1 to 2 tablespoons
sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons
honey
- 1 teaspoon
brown rice vinegar
For the hwe dub bap:
- 2 cups
cooked white, medium-grain rice
- 2 cups
chopped green-leaf lettuce
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups
peeled and julienned Korean radish or daikon
- 1/2
English cucumber, unpeeled and julienned
- 1 pound
assorted sushi grade fish (you can get a 1/4 pound of each), sliced
Sesame oil, to drizzle before serving
- 1 tablespoon
masago, split
Microgreens for garnish
Gim (dried roasted seaweed), finely shredded for garnish
Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
To make the gochujang sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients in a small to medium-sized bowl. Taste and adjust any ingredients as needed.
Using large-sized serving bowls, place about a cup of rice into the bowl. Top with the green leaf lettuce, radish and cucumbers, arranging the vegetables around the bowl. Place the sashimi into the bowl on top of the rice and drizzle with a little sesame oil. Garnish with the masago, micro greens, shredded gim and sesame seeds. Mix in the gochujang sauce and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If picking up fresh sushi grade fish, and if you have a long commute home, bring an ice cooler with you to keep the fish cold.
If using frozen sushi grade fish, defrost in your refrigerator the day before. Remove from the refrigerator, slice and enjoy.