Judy says: “When we launched our brunch menu at my restaurant, we wanted to offer some traditional fare, so the Bibim Breakfast came to fruition. The Tonkatsu Gochujang Ketchup sauce is reminiscent of English HP sauce, with a spicy kick and tastes delish with breakfast meats. I love the surprise potato ‘gamja jeon’ on the bottom, which is a nod to a traditional rosti or latka.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 good-quality sausages
• 6 streaky bacon slices
• 2 bunches baby cherry tomatoes on the vine
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 sprig of oregano
• 300g shimeji mushrooms, bottoms trimmed
• ½ tsp garlic, grated
• 120g baby spinach
• 2 duck eggs
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 slices sourdough
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tonkatsu gochujang ketchup

• 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
• 3½ tbsp tomato ketchup
• 3½ tbsp tonkatsu sauce

For the purple potato rosti (gamja jeon)

• 1 large purple potato, peeled
• ¼ onion, peeled
• ½ egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp coarse kosher salt, plus extra to sprinkle
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying

Method

First, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well incorporated. Cover and store in the fridge until needed. 

To make the rosti, grate the potato and onion on a box grater or food processor with a coarse grating disk. Transfer the mixture to a clean tea towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the egg, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper and mix until the flour is absorbed.

In a medium heavy–based pan set over a medium–high heat, pour in about 5mm of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), divide the batter into half and spoon one half into the pan. Use a spatula to flatten and shape it into a disc about 2cm thick and 10cm in diameter. Fry until the edges of the rosti are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is deep brown, about another five minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt and then keep warm while you repeat the process and cook the other half of the batter.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Place the sausages on a baking sheet and cook for 20–25 minutes, until thoroughly cooked, turning halfway through the cooking time, or according to specific packet instructions. Sausages should be cooked until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and there is no pink meat. Keep warm, leaving the oven on to cook the bacon.

Lay the streaky bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment, place another piece of paper on top of the bacon and place another tray on top. This will keep the bacon flat. Place in the oven and cook for 10–12 minutes, until golden and crispy. Keep warm.

For the roasted cherry tomatoes, place the vines into a small roasting tin, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, toss in the thyme and oregano.

Judy says: “Korean fried chicken has been the rage around the world as of late. The extra crispy crust makes it so different and addictive compared to other fried chicken. My secret ingredient is matzo meal, a Jewish unleavened flatbread, which keeps this crust super crunchy. And a splash of vodka, which prevents gluten development, making these wings cracking.”

Makes 24–26 pieces

Ingredients

• 60g sea salt, plus an extra ⅛ tsp
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 25g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ½ white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 leeks, white part only, roughly chopped
• 1½ tbsp dwengjang (Korean soy bean paste)
• 1.3 kg chicken wings, cut into drumettes and wingettes (discard or reserve the tips for another use)
• 90g cornflour
• ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying

For the sweet and spicy chilli sauce 

• 110g gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 100g dark brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil

For the batter

• 140g cornflour
• 70g fine matzo meal
• 70g plain flour
• 3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp onion powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 150ml vodka

To serve

• roasted white sesame seeds, to sprinkle
• spring onion, finely sliced at an angle
• Sweet and Spicy Chilli Sauce
• Sweet soy sauce

Method

First make the spicy chilli sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan set over a medium–low heat and whisk well. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook for about four minutes then remove from the heat and set aside.

For the brine, add 250ml water to a large saucepan and add the 60g sea salt, black peppercorns, lemon zest and juice, ginger, garlic, onion, leeks and dwengjang. Bring this to a low simmer and stir until the salt and dwengjang have dissolved. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. 

When the liquid is cool, add another 750ml water. Submerge the chicken wings in the brine, and place into the fridge. After 24 hours, remove from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine.

To make the pre-coating, in a large bowl mix together the cornflour, the ⅛ teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken and toss well until evenly coated all over. Shake off the excess, and transfer the chicken to a rack.

Half fill a heavy-based saucepan with oil and heat to 190°C. To make the batter, in a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together 475ml water and the vodka. Just before frying, whisk the wet mixture little by little into the dry mixture. You may not need all of the liquid: the consistency should be relatively thin and runny.

Working in batches, use tongs to dip each piece of chicken into the batter, letting any excess batter drip off. Hold the chicken pieces in the hot oil for a few seconds to seal before releasing them, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Fry until golden crispy brown and the thickest part registers 75°C on a meat thermometer. Keep the cooked chicken warm in a low oven until all batches are done.

Sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds and spring onion and drizzle with sweet soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce, or serve on the side.

Judy says: “My father was born in what is now North Korea, and this dish from the region is one of his favourites. This spicy bowl is a popular variation to the more known mild, tangy, soupy version. I have topped it off with some grilled squid which goes gorgeously with the fiery sweet sauce.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 baby squid
• vegetable oil, for cooking
• 200g naengmyun (Korean green tea buckwheat noodles)
• sea salt

For the chilli sauce

• 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp garlic, finely grated
• 2 tbsp plum extract
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds, crushed
• 2 tsp roasted sesame oil
• ½ spring onion, green part only, finely
• sliced at an angle

To serve

• 3 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced and soaked in ice-cold water
• 2 pinches silgochu (dried chilli threads)
• 1 quail egg, soft boiled, peeled and halved
• daikon radish cress

Method

First make the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Place in the fridge and leave to mellow.

Cut the squid bodies into rings and any large tentacles in half. Drizzle a bit of vegetable oil into a non-stick griddle pan, over a medium–high heat. Add the squid and griddle for two to three minutes until the squid is tender and just cooked through. Season with salt to taste.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Rinse well with cold water, massaging to remove excess starch. Drain and set aside.

Divide the noodles between two bowls. Top the noodles with the radishes. Divide the chargrilled squid between the bowls. Finish with a pinch of silgochu and half an egg in each bowl. Serve immediately with the chilli sauce on the side.

From Korean Soul Food by Judy Joo (£22, White Lion Publishing), out now