Bangpung-namul (Seasoned Coastal Hogfennel)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for blanching
• •Large bowl for cold water
• •Small skillet
• •Mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim and wash

   Pick through the bangpung and remove yellow leaves, gritty root ends, and any thick hollow stems that feel woody. Wash it in two changes of cold water, lifting the greens out instead of pouring the water off, so the sand stays behind. This is a coastal green. It often brings the shore home with it.

   If the stems are thicker than a chopstick, split them lengthwise before blanching. The leaves and stems should finish at the same time.
2. 2

   Blanch briefly

   Bring 8 cups water to a full boil and add 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt. Drop in the stems first for 30 seconds, then push in the leaves and blanch 60 to 90 seconds more, depending on thickness. The leaves should turn deep green and the stems should bend without snapping. Do not walk away.

3. 3

   Cool and squeeze

   Lift the greens into a bowl of cold water and swish them once to stop the cooking. Drain, then squeeze in both hands until damp but not dry. Too much water dilutes the seasoning; too much squeezing bruises the leaves. Cut into 2-inch lengths so the namul sits neatly with rice.

4. 4

   Season by hand

   Put the cut bangpung in a mixing bowl. Add the soup soy sauce, garlic, scallion, sesame oil, and crushed sesame seeds. Toss with your fingers, separating the stems as you go, until every strand is lightly coated. Taste one stem and one leaf. The seasoning should meet the bitterness, not cover it.

   손맛 is real, the hand-taste. I still measure it. Start with 1 1/2 tablespoons soup soy for 300g greens, then adjust by 1/2 teaspoon only after tasting.
5. 5

   Warm in pan

   Heat 1 teaspoon neutral oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned greens and toss for 45 to 60 seconds, just until the garlic loses its raw edge and the seasoning settles into the stems. If the pan looks dry, add 1 teaspoon reserved blanching water. This is a quick warming, not a hard fry.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Transfer to a shallow banchan dish and let it cool to warm room temperature. Sprinkle with a little more crushed sesame if you like, but keep the hand light. Serve with rice, soup, and two or three other banchan. A bitter green does its best work beside something plain.

Chef Tips

• •Buy bangpung when the leaves are small, green, and springy, with stems that snap cleanly. Large summer stems can be fibrous and more medicinal in flavor. My teacher would have cooked something else rather than bully old greens into tenderness.
• •Soup soy sauce is better than regular soy sauce here because it seasons cleanly without darkening the leaves too much. If you only have regular soy sauce, use 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, then taste.
• •A little bitterness is correct. Sugar makes this dish flatter, and gochujang turns it into another red side dish. Save those seasonings for greens that ask for them.
• •No bangpung in your market? In spring, use chamnamul or young chwinamul with the same method. It won't be the same dish, but the table will still be honest to the season.

Advance Preparation

• •Bangpung can be washed and trimmed up to 1 day ahead. Wrap it in a barely damp towel and refrigerate in a loose bag.
• •The finished namul keeps 2 days refrigerated in a covered container. Bring it to room temperature before serving and refresh with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil if it tastes flat.
• •Do not freeze this namul. The leaves turn limp and the clean bitter edge disappears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 70g)