Recipe courtesy of
Jackie Ji Yoon Park
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Jackie Ji Yoon Park
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Korean Braised Napa Cabbage (Baechu Sokdaejjim)
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr (includes soaking time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 196
- Total Fat
- 9 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Protein
- 15 g
- Cholesterol
- 29 mg
- Sodium
- 921 mg
The Korean royal palace cuisine version of braised napa cabbage (baechu sokdaejjim) is a refined dish that highlights balance, delicacy and natural flavor. In the royal court, tender napa cabbage leaves were carefully blanched and layered with a mix of seasoned meat, mushrooms and vegetables. The layered cabbage was then gently braised in a light broth infused with garlic, dasima and scallions to achieve a subtle yet deep taste. Unlike common home-style versions, the royal variation emphasized clarity of flavor and elegant and precise presentation, hence the tying of the carefully stacked cabbage leaves with chives or minari into tidy parcels. The dish was arranged neatly, often cut into even sections to display the colorful fillings inside. Served warm, baechu sokdaejjim reflected the palace’s commitment to precision, balance and visual beauty in every meal. Be sure to source medium/large napa cabbages, as you want full long leaves to fill, layer and stack, and long chives or minari, as the length comes in handy when tying up the cabbage leaves into tight little stacks.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr (includes soaking time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 196
- Total Fat
- 9 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Protein
- 15 g
- Cholesterol
- 29 mg
- Sodium
- 921 mg
Ingredients
Dasima Anchovy Broth:
Filling:
Assembly:
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Directions
- For the dasima anchovy broth: Fill a large saucepan with 8 cups water and add the dasima. Let soak until the dasima doubles in size and the water turns slightly green-yellow, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove the anchovy heads, then split the bodies in half along the belly or spine and remove the black innards. Discard the heads and innards.
- Bring the dasima water to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until the dasima starts to foam around the sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the anchovies, garlic, scallion whites and onion and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low and cook at a gentle boil (3 to 4 bubbles bursting on the surface at one time) until some broth has evaporated and 3 to 3 1/2 cups of slightly darker broth remain, about 35 minutes.
- For the filling: Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with the dried shiitake and wood ear mushrooms and pour over very hot water to cover. Stir the mushrooms to ensure they are completely submerged and wet, then wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap. Set aside until the mushrooms are doubled in size and fully rehydrated, about 30 minutes.
- Strain the dasima broth through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Discard the solids and set aside the broth for later use.
- Rinse the saucepan, then fill with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, wring the mushrooms dry in a towel to remove excess liquid. Slice the mushrooms into almost paper-thin slices and add to a large bowl. Add the pork, tofu, fish sauce, mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger and mix to combine (be careful not to overmix the filling). Refrigerate while you prepare and blanch the vegetables.
- For the assembly: Shave off any brown areas near the root of each cabbage and remove any outer leaves that are wilted or have holes. Using a knife, make a 3- to 4-inch incision lengthwise from the root end of each cabbage and split open in half with your hands. Make another 3- to 4-inch incision from the root end of each half and split in half again into quarters.
- Two at a time, carefully drop the cabbage quarters into the boiling water and cook, using tongs to rotate the quarters to ensure even cooking, until the root ends bend easily and are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Using the tongs, transfer to the ice bath and then to a colander set in a sink to drain. When cool enough to handle, cut off the root end of each cabbage quarter and transfer to a towel-lined baking sheet, keeping each cabbage quarter in its own stack. Try to set aside 16 medium/large whole leave. Remove the smaller inner leaves and reserve for another use. Using the same boiling water, quickly blanch the chives, 10 to 20 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath to cool quickly. Transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet to dry.
- Arrange 4 of the chives horizontally on a work surface, evenly spaced. Lay 1 large cabbage leaf on top of the chives and pat dry slightly with a paper towel, making sure the chives do not shift and are still evenly spaced underneath. Dust the leaf very lightly with cornstarch and place 1 tablespoon (or 1 heaping tablespoon if the leaf is very large) of the ground pork mixture on one end of the leaf. Evenly pat down and distribute the pork mixture on top of the leaf using a spoon or offset spatula; the mixture should be spread thinly over the leaf. Stack a similar size leaf on top of the pork mixture, making sure the root ends of the leaves are facing the same way, and dust with cornstarch. (For the neatest presentation, try to stack with the same size leaves with all the roots and leaves going in the same direction.) Repeat layering with the pork mixture. Top one more time with a cabbage leaf, followed by a dusting of cornstarch and a layer of the pork mixture. Finish the stack with a single cabbage leaf. You should have 3 layers of the pork mixture and 4 layers of cabbage. Double knot each chive to ensure everything is contained and held together. If any of the chives break, substitute one of the extras. For a neat and precise presentation, trim each chive’s double-knot with scissors, keeping each end of the double-knot 3/4 to 1 inch long at the most. Repeat the process to make 3 more stacks of the layered cabbage leaves.
- Gently lift each stack using both hands and lay in a large braiser. Carefully pour 3 cups of the dasima anchovy broth into the braiser. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then cover and turn the heat to medium low. Cook until the filling is cooked through and no longer pink, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can peep under the cabbage to check doneness by lifting one end of a stack.)
- Using a large fish spatula or other large serving utensil, carefully transfer the stacks to a serving dish. Remove 1/4 cup of the hot broth to a measuring cup and whisk in the cornstarch to combine.
- Pour the slurry into the braiser and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, whisking continually, until the slurry is fully incorporated and the broth is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the fish sauce, adding more if desired. Pour the sauce over the cabbage stacks. When ready to serve, slice each stack crosswise into 4 pieces, making sure a chive is in the middle of each individual cut-up portion. Spoon over the sauce and serve with a side of Chinese hot mustard for dipping.
Cook’s Note
Try to source very long chives/minari (at least 16 inches) as the length helps with tying the cabbages tighter and more easily. Use the root end of the chives as it will be sturdier.
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