Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown
Korean cooking with Anderson Cooper and Anthony Bourdain
CNN Staff • Updated 28th April 2015
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(CNN) — Korea's buddae-jjigae -- or "army stew" as it's often called -- dates back to the scarce years of the Korean War in the early 1950s when local cooks had to get inventive with U.S. Army rations.
While jiigae can refer to any variety of stews, this particular version just happens to feature a variety of canned, precooked meat, most notably Spam in all its glazed and gelatinous glory.
"It's, in fact, a classic example of necessity being the mother of deliciousness," Anthony Bourdain says of the dish during the premiere episode of "Parts Unknown" on Sunday, April 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The host of CNN's "Parts Unknown" recently stopped by Anderson Cooper's kitchen to cook up the spicy and funky stew, and talk about his 24 intoxicating hours in the country's capital of Seoul. So, it's probably a good thing budda-jiigae is also a storied hangover cure.
Budae-jjigae
(Serves 2-4)
Courtesy of Choi Ji-hwang
Ingredients:
1 12-oz can of Spam, cut into ½-inch slices
1½ cups tong baechu kimchi, or traditional fermented cabbage (can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or Korean specialty store)
8 oz. sliced Korean rice cakes (can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or Korean specialty store)
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3 hot dogs, thinly sliced
8 oz. ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons gochujang, or hot pepper paste (can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or Korean specialty store)
3 tablespoons gochukaru, or hot pepper flakes (can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or Korean specialty store)
3 tablespoons cheongju, or a clear rice wine similar to sake
3 cups anchovy kelp broth (recipe below)
3 tablespoons baked beans
1½ cups water
1 package ramen noodles (just the noodles)
For the anchovy kelp broth:
1 dried shiitake mushroom
4 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed, wrapped in cheesecloth
1 5x3" sheet of dried, edible kelp or kombu (can be found in a well-stocked supermarket or Korean specialty store)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
Cooking instructions:
1. Place the ingredients for the anchovy broth in a pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the flavors are fully infused. Strain and set aside.
2. Place the Spam, kimchi, rice cakes, onions, garlic, hot dogs and ground pork in small separate piles in the bottom of a shallow pot.
3. Add the soy, gochujang, gochukaru and cheongju to the pot and slowly pour the anchovy kelp broth in. Put the baked beans on top and add the water. Place pot over high heat and bring contents to a steady simmer.
4. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then add the ramen noodles. Ladle broth over the noodles to help them break apart. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until noodles are just about cooked through, but definitely still chewy. Serve with steamed rice or enjoy on its own.
Anthony Bourdain travels to South Korea, where he's reminded of the country's voracious appetite for a good time.
