1 c Short-grain white rice
1 ts Toasted sesame oil
8 oz Korean radish (mu) or
-daikon (2 c); peeled and
-cut into matchsticks
1 c Water
1/2 ts Kosher salt
24 Fresh oysters; shucked,
-rinsed, and patted dry with
-paper towels -OR-
1/2 lb Frozen oysters; thawed and
-drained
Spicy Soy Seasoning Sauce
When oysters are cooked with rice, they infuse it with a sweet flavor
reminiscent of the sea, and radish adds crispness and an earthy
sweetness. Koreans call oysters the "milk of the sea," since they
consider milk and oysters to be the most nutritious foods of the land
and the sea. Fresh oysters are always best, but you can use frozen,
available at Korean markets and many supermarkets, if fresh are not
available.
You don't need to soak the rice for this dish.
Put the rice in a bowl, cover it with cold water, and stir it with
your hand, them drain by tilting the bowl as far as you can over the
sink without pouring out any rice. Stir the rice with your hand to
release excess starch. Continue to rinse and drain the rice until the
water runs clear.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Turn the
heat down to medium, add the sesame oil and rice, and cook, stirring
with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes until lightly toasted and
fragrant. Add the radish matchsticks and cook, stirring to warm
through, 1 minute.
Add the 1 cup water and salt to the skillet and mix well with the
wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the skillet to prevent the rice
from sticking. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Add the oysters, mixing
them in gently, cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer until
the rice is cooked, 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat, fluff with the wooden spoon, and
transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with the seasoning sauce.
Recipe by Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking by Emily Kim, 2015
