Bibimbap

At least that’s what I’m calling it. I don’t have stone bowls to serve this in which would be my preference. If you’ve never had bibimbap it’s best served in a hot stone bowl. That keeps the rice hot and by the time you get to the bottom the rice gets a little carmelized and crunchy. My favorite bibimbap is at a great restaurant in downtown Columbus called Kooma. They also have fantastic sushi.

This dish takes a little work, especially in preparing the vegetables. A mandoline is a must otherwise you’ll spend all of your day slicing and julienning. Another key is big pot blanching. Blanching your vegetables in a large pot of very salty boiling water and then shocking them in an ice bath will really bring out the color.

The “kimchi” in this dish was from another one of my favorite cookbooks, My Korea, by Chef Hooni Kim. I call it kimchi but really it is spicy brussels sprouts. You marinate the leaves of brussels sprouts in a mixture of fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes).