Memilguk-juk (메밀국죽, Gangwon Buckwheat Porridge)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart heavy pot
• •Medium mixing bowl and whisk
• •Flat wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• •Fine-mesh strainer or slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   Put 6 cups water, the kelp, and the cleaned anchovies in a 3-quart heavy pot over medium heat. When small bubbles gather at the edge, after about 6 to 7 minutes, pull out the kelp. Leave it longer and the broth turns slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then lift them out. You should have about 5 to 5 1/2 cups broth; add hot water if the pot has reduced below that.

   Removing the anchovy heads and dark guts matters. That small pinch of bitterness spreads through a plain porridge faster than people expect.
2. 2

   Mix the slurry

   Whisk the buckwheat flour with 1 cup cold water until no dry pockets remain. Let it stand while you cut the potato and tofu. Cold water keeps the flour from swelling too fast; hot broth would seize it into lumps before you could stir.

3. 3

   Season and simmer

   Whisk 2 1/2 tablespoons doenjang into the broth until no large lumps remain. Add the potato and minced garlic and simmer 8 to 9 minutes, until a potato cube can be pierced halfway but is not falling apart. The potato starts early because the buckwheat will thicken the pot later and slow everything down.

4. 4

   Add sprouts and tofu

   Add the soybean sprouts and tofu. Keep the lid off from here; half-covered sprouts develop the smell that makes people distrust them. Simmer 5 minutes, nudging gently so the tofu does not break. The sprouts should bend but still have a clean bite.

5. 5

   Thicken with buckwheat

   Stir the buckwheat slurry again, lower the heat to medium-low, and pour it into the moving pot in a thin stream while stirring with your other hand. Scrape the bottom and corners for 6 to 8 minutes. The porridge should coat the spoon and slide off in soft sheets, not stand like paste. If it tightens too much, add hot water 1/4 cup at a time, up to 3/4 cup.

   This is the step you cannot hurry. Buckwheat catches on the bottom before it announces itself, so keep the spoon moving until the raw flour taste is gone.
6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Taste the porridge. If it needs more depth, dissolve the extra 1 teaspoon doenjang in 2 tablespoons hot porridge liquid and stir it back in. If the flavor is right but dull, add fine sea salt 1/8 teaspoon at a time, up to 1/4 teaspoon. Fold in the scallions, green chili, and perilla oil if using. Rest 3 minutes off the heat so the buckwheat finishes swelling, then serve with kimchi.

Chef Tips

• •Buy buckwheat flour that smells nutty and clean. Old buckwheat turns stale and bitter quickly because the grain has oil in it. If the bag smells dusty, my teacher would have sent it back without a word.
• •The safe shortcut is prepared anchovy-kelp broth. Use 5 cups of it and begin with the doenjang. The unsafe shortcut is pouring dry buckwheat flour straight into the pot; that gives you lumps no amount of stirring will truly fix.
• •Do not reach for gochujang here. This is a doenjang bowl, earthy and plain, and chili paste would make every spoon taste the same. If you want heat, one sliced green chili is enough.
• •Firm tofu holds its shape better than soft tofu in a thick porridge. Cut it small, the same size as the potato, so every spoon carries a little of each thing.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Warm it before adding the doenjang so the paste dissolves evenly.
• •Cut the potato up to 4 hours ahead and hold it in cold water so it does not brown. Drain it well before it goes into the broth, or it waters down the seasoning.
• •Finished memilguk-juk keeps 2 days refrigerated. Cool it within 2 hours, then reheat gently with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water per serving because buckwheat thickens as it sits. The bean sprouts soften, so the first bowl is still the best bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 520g)