Auk-juk (Mallow Greens Porridge)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3-quart pot or Korean earthenware pot
• •Large basin for washing greens
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the rice

   Rinse the rice in three changes of water, rubbing the grains lightly with your hand until the water turns less cloudy. Cover with fresh cool water and soak 30 minutes, then drain for 10 minutes. Soaking lets the grains open evenly in the broth; unsoaked rice makes you cook longer, and then the mallow waits too long for the rice to catch up.

2. 2

   Knead the mallow

   Trim away tough stem ends and pull off any stringy skin from thick stems. Put the mallow in a large basin, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and knead firmly for 2 minutes, folding and rubbing the leaves until they darken, soften, and give off green liquid. Rinse in three full changes of water, lifting the greens out each time so grit stays in the bottom of the basin. Squeeze gently and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths.

   This is the step the dish lives or dies by. Mallow holds grit and has a slick, raw green edge. Kneading removes both, and it helps the greens settle into the porridge instead of floating like weeds.
3. 3

   Make shrimp broth

   Put the 7 cups water, kelp, and dried shrimp in a heavy pot. Bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, then remove the kelp right away before it turns the broth bitter and slippery. Simmer the shrimp 10 minutes more. Strain the broth and reserve 2 tablespoons of the softened shrimp, roughly chopped. You should have about 6 1/2 cups broth; add water if you are short.

4. 4

   Dissolve the doenjang

   Return the broth to the pot and whisk in 2 tablespoons doenjang, or press it through a small sieve into the broth so no salty lumps remain. Taste the broth now. It should be savory and a little lighter than soup, because the rice will thicken and concentrate it. Do not add the extra teaspoon yet. Too much doenjang makes a small porridge taste heavy.

5. 5

   Cook the rice

   Add the drained rice and the reserved chopped shrimp to the doenjang broth. Bring it to a gentle boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles quietly. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring the bottom every 2 to 3 minutes with a wooden spoon. The grains should swell and split at the edges, with no hard white center. If the porridge tightens before the rice is tender, add hot water 1/2 cup at a time.

6. 6

   Add the greens

   Fold in the kneaded mallow and minced garlic. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the greens are tender and the porridge moves loosely from the spoon instead of sitting in a lump. Mallow should taste clean and green, with the dried shrimp underneath and the doenjang holding the bowl together. Let it taste like itself.

7. 7

   Taste and rest

   Taste before you season again. If the porridge is deep but flat, add up to 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. If it lacks soybean depth, dissolve 1 more teaspoon doenjang in a ladleful of hot porridge before stirring it back in. Add the sliced scallion, turn off the heat, cover, and rest 5 minutes. Serve warm with kimchi or a sharp radish banchan.

Chef Tips

• •Choose mallow with lively green leaves and stems that bend instead of snapping dry. Summer mallow is good for this porridge; autumn mallow is famous for soup. Yellow leaves and woody stems will not soften honestly, no matter how long you boil them.
• •Taste your doenjang before it goes in. A dark, old-style paste can be salty and deep, so 2 tablespoons may be plenty. A mild commercial paste may need the extra teaspoon, but add it only after the rice has cooked and you can taste the finished bowl.
• •Small dried shrimp give the cleanest sweetness. If yours are large or very hard, strain them all out after making the broth and do not put them back. The broth should taste rounded, not dusty.
• •A safe shortcut is cooked rice: use 3 cups cooked short-grain rice and 5 cups finished broth, then simmer 15 to 18 minutes before adding the mallow. Do not skip kneading the greens, and do not guess at the doenjang.
• •For a vegetarian table, omit the shrimp and make the broth with kelp plus 3 dried shiitake mushrooms. It becomes quieter and earthier, and you may need the full extra teaspoon of doenjang. That is an honest change, not the same bowl pretending nothing happened.

Advance Preparation

• •The shrimp-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Chill it quickly, covered, and skim any settled bits before using.
• •The mallow can be trimmed, kneaded, rinsed, squeezed, and cut up to 1 day ahead. Keep it in an airtight container with a clean towel to catch extra moisture.
• •Finished juk thickens as it sits. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 2 days, reheating with a splash of water or broth until loose again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 475g)