Yeongyang-dolsotbap (Stone Pot Nutritious Rice)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart dolsot (Korean stone pot) with lid
• •Heat diffuser, useful for electric or very strong gas burners
• •Fine sieve for draining soaked rice
• •Small bowl for yangnyeom ganjang

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the rice

   Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, rubbing it gently with your hand, until the water turns from milky to only slightly cloudy. Soak the rice in fresh water for 30 minutes, then drain it in a sieve for 10 minutes. This soaking lets the grains cook evenly in the stone pot; without it, the outside softens before the center is done.

   Do not skip the draining. Wet rice carries extra water into the pot, and that small extra amount is enough to soften the bottom so the crust never forms properly.
2. 2

   Prepare the toppings

   Drain the soaked beans. Halve the chestnuts, slice the pitted jujubes, strip the ginseng thinly, and have the gingko nuts ready. Keep the pieces large enough to recognize after cooking. This rice is called nutritious because of what each ingredient brings, so do not chop them into confusion.

3. 3

   Fill the stone pot

   Rub the inside bottom of a 2-quart dolsot with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Add the drained rice and 2 1/4 cups water, then scatter the beans, chestnuts, jujubes, gingko nuts, and ginseng over the top. Do not stir. The rice needs to sit evenly against the bottom to build nurungji, while the toppings cook gently above it.

4. 4

   Cook the rice

   Set the uncovered dolsot over medium heat until the water comes to a steady boil, about 6 to 8 minutes. Lower the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook 18 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the pot rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. The rest is not waiting for no reason; it lets the moisture settle back through the grains so the rice finishes tender instead of wet on top and hard below.

   If your stove runs hot, use a heat diffuser under the dolsot once the water boils. A dark golden crust is good. A black bottom is not character; it is burnt rice.
5. 5

   Mix the sauce

   While the rice rests, stir together the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, scallion, sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochugaru if using, and the garlic if using. Keep the sauce salty and light, not thick or sweet. One tablespoon per bowl is enough at first, because the rice should still taste of chestnut, ginseng, jujube, and grain.

6. 6

   Serve from pot

   Open the pot at the table. Lift the rice gently from the sides and fold the toppings through without scraping up the bottom crust yet. Spoon rice into bowls and let each person add a small spoonful of yangnyeom ganjang. Taste before adding more. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, so the first spoon does not drown the whole pot.

7. 7

   Make sungnyung

   Leave the crisp rice crust attached to the bottom of the dolsot. Pour in 2 cups boiling water, cover the pot, and let it sit 5 minutes. Scrape gently with a spoon and serve the pale toasted rice tea at the end of the meal. This is why you protected the crust from the beginning.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh chestnuts are best in autumn, when they are sweet and firm. Out of season, use vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts rather than old dried ones, because stale chestnut turns chalky in rice.
• •Gingko nuts are traditional here, but use them with restraint. Eight nuts for this pot is enough, and children should eat fewer. Their faint bitterness is part of the balance, not something to multiply.
• •Fresh ginseng should smell clean and earthy, not sour or tired. If you cannot find it, use 2 or 3 thin slices of dried ginseng soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, and use that soaking water as part of the cooking water.
• •No dolsot is not a reason to abandon the dish. Use a small heavy Dutch oven or a thick clay pot, then uncover for the last 2 minutes over low heat to encourage a bottom crust. The vessel can change; the soaking, water measure, and resting cannot.
• •Serve this with quiet banchan: baechu kimchi, seasoned spinach, roasted gim, or a clear soup. Do not surround it with heavy red sauces. Let it taste like itself.

Advance Preparation

• •The beans can be soaked overnight in the refrigerator, then drained before cooking. If using larger beans, parboil them 10 minutes after soaking so they finish at the same time as the rice.
• •Chestnuts can be peeled up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain and pat dry before adding them to the rice.
• •The seasoned soy sauce can be mixed up to 1 day ahead, but add the scallion and sesame oil within a few hours of serving so the flavor stays clean.
• •This rice is best cooked just before eating. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated, but the crust and the fragrance of ginseng belong to the first table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)