Buckwheat jelly in chilled broth (memil-muk-sabal)

Step-by-step cooking

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1. Step 1

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   Plan 25 minutes preparation, 15 minutes simmering and about 35 minutes cooling; chill longer if needed. Prepare a 2 litre saucepan, fine sieve, shallow metal bowl, larger ice-bath bowl, thermometer, clean board, damp knife and two serving bowls of at least 600 ml. Set aside ice and cold water for the bath; they do not go in the food. Keep the ready-to-eat jelly refrigerated and check its use-by date. Choose buckwheat jelly, not jelly powder, acorn jelly or soba noodles.

2. Step 2

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   For each dried anchovy, pinch off the head, open the dry belly and pull out the black intestinal strip; discard these parts. No salt-water purging or fresh-fish scaling is needed for dried soup anchovies. Wipe off loose dust; do not soak them. Wipe the kelp with a clean damp cloth. Dry-toast the cleaned anchovies in the saucepan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, shaking, just until fragrant; do not let them darken or smoke. Use no oil.

3. Step 3

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   Add 720 ml drinking water and the kelp to the toasted anchovies. Heat over medium-high until small bubbles begin to rise, about 5 minutes, then lift out the kelp. Lower the heat and simmer the anchovies gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Do not boil violently or squeeze the fish. Strain through the fine sieve to remove every bone and fragment; discard the solids. Measure 550 ml strained broth, reserving any extra; if short, top up to 550 ml with boiled drinking water.

4. Step 4

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   Stir 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 2 level teaspoons sugar into the warm broth until dissolved, then add boiled drinking water to reach exactly 600 ml. Put it in the shallow metal bowl and set that bowl in ice water reaching halfway up its outside, without letting bath water enter. Stir occasionally for about 15 minutes, then refrigerate about 20 minutes, until the broth is 4°C or colder. Taste cold; add up to ⅛ teaspoon salt only if needed. It should be lightly savory and tangy, not thick or syrupy.

5. Step 5

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   With clean hands and a clean board, drain the 400 g ready-to-eat jelly and follow any package rinsing directions. Cut with a damp knife into batons about 5 cm long and 1 cm thick, supporting them so they do not snap. If the chilled jelly is unusually firm, follow its label’s warming directions, then cool and drain well before assembling; do not freeze it or serve it hot in the cold broth. Return the cut jelly to the refrigerator while preparing the toppings.

6. Step 6

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   If using scallion, remove its roots and any wilted outer leaves before washing and slicing. Wash the cucumber and optional scallion under running drinking water and dry. Trim the cucumber ends, scoop out a very watery seed core if present, and cut into 5 cm long, 2 mm thick matchsticks. Finely slice the scallion. On a clean board, chop ready-to-eat kimchi into 1 cm pieces; do not rinse it. Mix the 80 g kimchi with 1 teaspoon sesame oil for 30 seconds. Cut the optional roasted gim into thin strips with clean scissors. The kimchi and seaweed are already prepared foods and need no raw-seafood cleaning.

7. Step 7

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   Divide the cold jelly between the bowls, 200 g each, and arrange cucumber and dressed kimchi on top. Slowly pour 300 ml cold broth down the side of each bowl so the jelly does not break. Add the optional scallion, gim and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds divided between both bowls only at the end. Serve at once with a spoon. The jelly should remain soft but hold its shape, the cucumber crisp and the broth clear and fluid. Do not stir vigorously or add ice, which dilutes the measured broth.