Parae-muchim (Green Laver Salad)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl for rinsing
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Sharp knife or mandoline for julienning radish
• •Medium mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the radish

   Put the julienned radish in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Toss and let it sit 10 minutes, just until the pieces bend a little but still snap. This draws out excess water so the finished muchim does not turn watery on the table.

2. 2

   Rinse the laver

   Place the parae in a large bowl of cold water with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Swish it gently with your fingers, lift it out, and pour away the sandy water. Repeat with fresh cold water until the bottom of the bowl is clean, usually two rinses, sometimes three. Do not dump it into a colander first, or the sand follows it.

3. 3

   Squeeze gently

   Gather the rinsed parae in your hands and squeeze lightly until it is damp but not dripping. The measure matters: you want about 130g after squeezing. Too wet and it dilutes the dressing; too dry and the strands clump instead of falling softly through the radish.

   If the parae comes in thick clumps, tear it into shorter strands after squeezing. Long ropes make one person drag half the bowl away with one bite.
4. 4

   Mix the dressing

   In a mixing bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, sugar, gukganjang, minced garlic, scallion, sesame seeds, and sesame oil if using. Taste it before the vegetables go in. It should be bright and a little sharper than you want the final dish, because the radish and laver will soften it.

5. 5

   Toss by hand

   Squeeze the salted radish once to remove pooled liquid, then add it to the dressing with the parae. Toss by hand, separating the laver through the radish so the seasoning reaches every strand. Be light. Parae is tender, and rough mixing bruises it into a paste.

6. 6

   Taste and serve

   Let the salad sit 5 minutes, then taste. Add 1 teaspoon more vinegar if it tastes flat, or a pinch of sugar if the radish is not sweet. Serve cold or cool in a small banchan dish, with rice and a plain soup. This is not a dish to keep for days; its life is today.

Chef Tips

• •Buy fresh parae in winter when it looks vivid green and smells cleanly of the sea. If it smells sour or muddy before seasoning, leave it at the market.
• •The safe shortcut is buying pre-washed parae, but still rinse it once in a bowl and check the bottom for grit. The corner you cannot cut is the sand check.
• •Gukganjang gives salt and depth without darkening the whole bowl. If you do not have it, use 3/4 teaspoon regular soy sauce and a small pinch of salt.
• •Go carefully with sesame oil. Half a teaspoon is enough. More than that covers the sea flavor, and then you have seasoned the dish into silence.

Advance Preparation

• •Julienne the radish up to 6 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator, unsalted. Salt it only before mixing, or it will lose too much crunch.
• •Wash and squeeze the parae up to 4 hours ahead, then keep it covered and cold. Dress it close to serving so the vinegar stays bright and the radish stays crisp.
• •Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated, but the texture softens. Taste before serving and wake it with a few drops of vinegar if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 100g)