Korean Abalone Pot Rice (Ocean-Scented Sesame Base Grain Pot)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Jeonbok sotbap is an abalone and rice dish cooked in a heavy-bottomed pot, where the process of building flavor begins before the rice itself goes in.
Read more
Abalone innards are sauteed directly in the cooking vessel with sesame oil, and their distinctive green pigment dissolves into the fat and spreads a deep, marine-tinged aroma throughout the pot. Soaked rice and water are added to this scented base and the rice is cooked in the usual way, absorbing the briny fragrance into each grain. Sliced abalone meat is placed on top of the rice only when it is nearly done, then the lid is replaced for a five-minute steam that gently cooks the abalone without toughening it. Extending this resting time by two or three minutes generates a layer of nurungji, scorched rice at the bottom of the pot, that adds a crisp textural counterpoint. A sauce of soy sauce, sliced chives, minced garlic, and sesame seeds is mixed into each bowl at the table, bringing a savory, nutty accent that complements the abalone's subtle flavor.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Rinse 300 g short-grain rice gently until the water runs mostly clear.
Soak it for 30 minutes, then drain in a sieve for about 10 minutes so excess surface water does not make the pot rice soggy.
- 2Prep
Scrub 3 abalones with a brush, cleaning the shells and dark edges well.
Separate the innards without bursting them, chop the innards finely, and slice the meat thinly so it can steam quickly later.
- 3Control
Warm 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat.
Add the chopped innards and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the oil turns greenish and aromatic without scorching.
- 4Control
Add the drained rice and 330 ml water, scraping the bottom once to distribute the abalone base.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and cook covered for 12 minutes.
- 5Control
When the surface moisture has mostly disappeared, spread the thin abalone slices evenly over the rice.
Cover again, turn off the heat, and let the pot stand for 5 minutes so the abalone stays tender.
- 6Finish
Mix 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 20 g chives, 0.5 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Fluff the rice gently from the edges, then serve with the sauce and mix lightly at the table.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Fragrant toasted sesame oil and abalone viscera scent every grain of this savory jeonbok sotbap.
- Finish cue
- Cover again, turn off the heat, and let the pot stand for 5 minutes so the abalone stays tender.
- Avoid this
- Soak it for 30 minutes, then drain in a sieve for about 10 minutes so excess surface water does not make the pot rice soggy.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 8 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 309 recipes
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