Hoe-deop-bap ( hoe means “raw fish,” and deop means “added”) is a deliciously simple dish of rice, raw vegetables, and raw fish served in a big bowl with spicy sauce and toasted sesame oil. It’s light, crisp, and incredibly refreshing. You eat it like you eat bibimbap—with a spoon, after mixing it up in the bowl. A spoonful of mild but earthy soup with tofu calms the palate after a bite of fish and vegetables, and then you are ready to enjoy the spicy fish again. I learned this recipe from a raw fish expert who has prepared it thousands of times for demanding, hungry Koreans. I met Mrs. Park when I was a family counselor in Toronto. She worked at a Korean restaurant, where one of her main duties was the preparation of hoe- deop-bap, and I convinced her to teach some of our group members how to make her specialty. Of course, this was also the perfect opportunity for me to learn from a real expert. In a Korean restaurant, hoe-deop-bap can be expensive, but if you make it at home, you can use a generous amount of fish without spending too much.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
SAUCE:
- ½ cup Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
SOUP:
- 7 cups water
- 8 large dried anchovies (mareun-myeolchi), heads and guts removed
- ⅓ cup fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ (of a 15-ounce) package medium-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 scallions, chopped
MIXED RICE:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens or chopped lettuce
- 2 green Korean chili peppers (cheong-gochu), chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped red Korean chili pepper (hong-gochu)
- 10 perilla leaves (kkaennip), cut into thin strips, or ¼ cup thinly sliced mint leaves
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
- 2 cups peeled, seeded English cucumber matchsticks
- 1 cup radish sprouts (optional)
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes (optional)
- Fluffy White Rice
- 1½ pounds boneless sushi-grade fish, such as salmon, tuna, or flounder, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- ½ cup flying fish roe (optional)
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 2 sheets dried seaweed paper (gim, aka nori), lightly toasted and sliced into thin strips
- Toasted sesame oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Make the soup: Combine the water, dried anchovies, soybean paste, and garlic in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the water is infused with good anchovy flavor, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Strain the broth and return it to the pan. Add the tofu and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until heated through. Add the chopped scallions. Cover to keep warm.
- Assemble the mixed rice: Arrange the greens, both chili peppers, perilla leaves, onion, cucumber, and sprouts and avocado (if using) in the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Spoon the rice on top. Arrange the fish and roe, if using, on top of the rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and the seaweed. Serve with the sauce, soup, and sesame oil on the side.
VARIATION:
VEGETARIAN HOE-DEOP-BAP
- Use fried tofu in place of the raw fish. Cut one 14-ounce package medium-firm tofu into bite-size cubes and pat dry with paper towels. Panfry in 2 tablespoons oil, turning occasionally, until light golden brown on all sides and crispy.
NOTE:
- Toast dried seaweed paper (gim) over a low flame to bring out its flavor and fragrance and make it crisp, then crush it into small pieces.
