Ssukgat Namul - 쑥갓나물
Chrysanthemum Namul
A Korean table is composed with an array of banchan, and namul is one of my favorite. Even as a child, my mother would comment that I loved namul, a bit unusual for a child to love cooked vegetables so much. Here I used ssukgat (chrysanthemum), simply blanched and dressed. When blanched, ssukgat’s bitter notes mellow out and the herbaceousness and the crunchy texture of the stems are fantastic. Definitely superior to the more common spinach namul. I love this plant because the flowers are so cheery and beautiful, it grows wild and happy, and the leaves and plants are surprisingly versatile and delicious. I am a terrible gardener. That these grow so easily is a big plus. I am only successful at growing these and perilla. The rest I am happy to buy from my farmer friends.
Ingredients:
1 bunch (about 4 cups or around 200g) ssukgat
4 cups water to boil
1 tsp kosher salt
Mixing bowl of cold water and ice
1 tsp garlic, finely minced
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil or perilla oil
1 tsp sesame seeds or chopped nuts of your choice
Pinch black pepper
Instructions:
Wash ssukgat well under cold running water, removing any brown leaves. Prepare a big bowl of cold water and ice.
Blanch the greens: Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the salt. Add the greens and let boil for 15-30 seconds until the color of the greens get brighter but the greens are not completely soft and mushy.
Get the greens out of the hot water and into the bowl of cold water with ice to cool immediately. Drain bean sprouts. Drain greens and squeeze out excess water.
If the leaves of the greens are large, cut into 2 inch pieces.
Add the greens and sprouts into separate mixing bowls, add garlic, soy sauce, oil, seeds or nuts, and toss gently until well dressed.
Enjoy as a banchan (side dish), as a small salad, or as a topping on rice or noodle bowls.