Minari-namul (Blanched Water Dropwort)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large bowl for washing greens
• •Medium pot, at least 3-quart capacity
• •Tongs or a spider strainer
• •Mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the minari

   Trim away tough root ends and any yellow leaves. Swish the minari in a large bowl of cold water, lift it out, and repeat until no grit settles at the bottom, usually 3 rinses. Minari grows in wet ground, so washing is not a polite suggestion. It is the first seasoning, because grit ruins the whole bowl.

2. 2

   Cut even lengths

   Cut the cleaned minari into 2-inch lengths, keeping stems and leafy tops in loose separate piles if the stems are thick. Even lengths season evenly and sit neatly in the banchan dish. This is a small dish, but careless cutting still shows.

3. 3

   Blanch briefly

   Bring 8 cups water to a hard boil and add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Drop in the stems first for 20 seconds, then add the leafy tops for another 15 to 20 seconds. The color should brighten and the stems should bend while keeping a little snap. Do not walk away. Minari forgives many things, but not boiling into string.

4. 4

   Shock and drain

   Lift the minari into cold water and swish once to stop the cooking. Drain, then gather it in both hands and squeeze gently, just until it no longer drips hard. Do not wring it dry. A little moisture helps the soy and sesame move through the greens; too much water thins the seasoning.

5. 5

   Season by hand

   Put the drained minari in its own mixing bowl. Add the soup soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, crushed sesame seeds, and scallion if using. Toss and rub lightly with your fingers so the seasoning reaches the stems without bruising the leaves. Taste one stem. It should be green first, then savory, then nutty. Add only a pinch of salt if it tastes flat.

   If you only have regular soy sauce, use 2 teaspoons regular soy sauce plus a pinch of salt instead of the 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce. Regular soy is darker and sweeter, so less keeps the minari from tasting like soy first.
6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the namul sit 5 minutes, then taste once more before serving. Sesame oil blooms after it sits, and the garlic sharpens. Serve in a small banchan dish beside rice, soup, and one stronger side dish. This is not the loud bowl on the table. It is the one that makes the table feel balanced.

Chef Tips

• •Buy minari with thin, firm stems and fresh green leaves. Avoid bunches with blackened joints, sour smell, or limp hollow stems. My teacher would have sent that back without a word.
• •Do not replace soup soy sauce with a full tablespoon of dark regular soy sauce. Guk-ganjang seasons clearly without staining the greens too much, which is why it belongs here.
• •For a temple-style version, leave out the garlic and scallion. Add 1/2 teaspoon more crushed sesame seeds and a small pinch of salt. The dish changes, but honestly.
• •This namul is best the day it is made. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 24 hours, before the minari loses its clean edge.

Advance Preparation

• •Wash and trim the minari up to 6 hours ahead. Wrap it in a barely damp towel, seal it in a container, and refrigerate it until cooking.
• •Blanch and season close to serving. If you must make it ahead, keep it chilled for up to 24 hours and refresh with a few drops of sesame oil just before it goes to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 70g)