Baek Jong-won's Stir-fried Squid
Baek Jong-won's stir-fried squid is a sweet-and-spicy dish full of smoky flavor, made by first frying scallions in oil. Loaded with cabbage, onion, and carrot and stir-fried quickly with squid over high heat, it's easy to follow yet impressive — a great side dish for rice and a perfect snack with drinks.
Ingredients
Main
- Squid2 (large)
- Cabbage1/4 head
- Carrot1/2
- Onion1
- Green chili pepper2
- Green onion (scallion)2 stalks
Sauce & Seasoning
- Cooking oil3 Tbsp
- Sugar1 Tbsp
- Minced garlic1 Tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste)1 Tbsp
- Soy sauce5 Tbsp
- Red chili powder (gochugaru)3 Tbsp
- Water1/2 cup
- Sesame oil1 Tbsp
- Toasted sesame seedsto taste
Directions
- 1
Cut the cabbage, carrot, onion, and half of the green onion into long, thick strips, and slice the green chilies thickly on the diagonal. Clean the squid well and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and the finely chopped green onion to the pan, turn on the heat, and stir-fry. Keep stir-frying until golden so plenty of scallion-infused oil is released.
- 3
Once the green onion is golden, add the squid and stir-fry, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir-fry together.
- 4
Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of gochujang and stir-fry. Keep the cooking time to a minimum — add the garlic and toss the pan to mix as you fry, then quickly fry the gochujang the same way.
- 5
Add 5 tablespoons of soy sauce and 3 tablespoons of chili powder and stir-fry. If it's too dry, add 1/2 cup of water and keep stir-frying.
- 6
Add all the cut vegetables to the pan you've been stir-frying in.
- 7
Stir-fry briefly while mixing well so the vegetables don't wilt, and just before taking it off the heat, drizzle in the sesame oil to finish.
- 8
Plate it up appetizingly and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top. Done! Enjoy your meal.
Tips
Stir-fry the garlic and gochujang briefly over high heat so they don't burn and give a clean spiciness. Stir-fry the vegetables only briefly at the end to keep them crunchy, and drizzle the sesame oil right before turning off the heat to preserve its smoky aroma and nutty flavor.