FoodMayhem

This is not a traditional bibimbop, but I think of bibimbop as one of those “everything but the kitchen sink” recipes. I make it when I’ve got a bunch of random vegetables I want to use up and I want it all to amount to a one-bowl meal. Most commonly, bibimbop has bulgolgi, a Korean marinated beef. I didn’t have any beef so this one uses shrimp. I didn’t have any bean sprouts, but that’s ok. Traditionally, it’s an egg with runny yolk but Lon doesn’t like those so I chose to make a thin omelet and slice it up. See how flexible it is? I feel like every college kid should learn the jist of bibimbop because it’s an easy way to make a healthy meal. Where I use water convolous, you can use spinach or any greens. Instead of shrimp, try chicken, pork, or beef. If you prefer, use brown rice. You get the idea…All you need is the red pepper sauce (gochu chang) and it’ll be delicious!

Shrimp Bibimbop
~4 servings

Red Pepper Sauce

• 3/4 cup hot red pepper paste
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Toppings

• 1 cup julienne carrots
• 5+ teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups julienne zucchini
• 8 cups water convolous, stems and leaves seperated into 5″ to 6″ segments
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 scallions, cut in 3″ segments (cut thicker parts in half lengthwise)
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons kecap manis
• 32 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails removed
• kosher salt and white pepper

• 4 cups steamed white rice
• garnish with roasted seaweed and sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions –

1. Make the red pepper paste by stirring the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Throw carrots in boiling water for just a few seconds. Remove and rinse with cold water. Drain. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large flat pan on medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and swirl to coat the bottom. As soon as the bottom is solid, try to flip it over. It should finish in 2 seconds. Remove from heat immediately. When it cools enough to handle. Slice it in long strips. Set aside.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok on high heat. Toss in zucchini with some salt and pepper. Toss around just until tender. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

5. Return wok to heat with 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the stems of the convolous with minced garlic and salt. Toss around until tender. Add the leaves with a little more salt. Toss around until leaves wilt. Remove from heat to a bowl and set aside.

6. Use that same wok again with just a light coating of oil. Add scallions and sliced garlic with kecap manis. Toss around just until the scallion has softened a bit but is not mushy. Remove from heat to a bowl and set aside.

7. Rinse the wok and return to the flame to dry it. Once it starts smoking, add 1 teaspoon oil. Swirl it around and add the shrimp. Add 1 tablespoon of the red pepper sauce and toss to coat the shrimp. Stir around until the shrimp curl up and there’s no more grey. (It’s a little bit hard to see in this dish with the red pepper sauce.) Remove from heat immediately. Set aside.

8. Divide rice into 4 bowls. Divide each topping into the 4 bowls, keeping each topping in a neat pile and put the shrimp in the center. Top with seaweed and sesame if you want. Serve with red pepper sauce on the side for each person to add as much as they want.

Usually the dish is served as pictured above, then the person eating it will add sauce and stir it all up.