Rejina Pyo is pretty much the main name you need to know in fashion right now. Her last two collections have stolen the show at London Fashion Week and, according to what we've been told, her AW18 collection is being hyped to the high heavens by buyers hoping to fill a Phoebe Philo-shaped hole.
But did you know that, even though she launched her first collection in 2014, Korean-born Pyo still found time that same year to write a cookbook alongside her Irish chef husband Jordan Bourke? Our Korean Kitchen came out in 2015 and, as expected, is as much of a masterpiece as Pyo's collections.
As soon as we came across the book in a pal's kitchen, we knew it was too good not to share. Click through to find four super tasty recipes straight from the woman herself.
Our Korean Kitchen by Jordan Bourke and Rejina Pyo, W&N, £17.50
Pine Nut & Rice Porridge
jatjuk
Serves 2
Ingredients
200g short-grain white or brown rice, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
100g pine nuts, plus extra to garnish
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp honey, to taste
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
Instructions
Drain the rice, then add it to a food processor with the pine nuts and blitz for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at intervals until everything is very finely ground down. Then slowly add in 400ml of cold water.
Strain everything through a very fine sieve, or a sieve lined with cheesecloth or muslin, into a bowl, squeezing the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp and pour the strained liquid into a saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir the mixture continuously for 2-3 minutes until it is noticeably thicker. Let it come to a gentle boil as you stir for another 2 minutes, adding in a little more water if it becomes too thick, or just until the porridge is at your desired consistency. Season with the salt and honey, adding in a little more of either to taste.
Serve immediately in bowls with a few pine nuts and sesame seeds scattered over the top.
Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream
hoogim-ja ice cream
Serves 8
Ingredients
50g black sesame seeds
60g agave syrup
2 x 400ml tins of coconut milk
100g unrefined sugar or coconut palm sugar
Pinch of sea salt
3 tbsp cornflour
Instructions
Put the black sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat.
The moment they begin to pop and release their aroma, remove them from the heat and cool. Blitz the seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor until finely ground, then place them in a bowl and combine them with the agave syrup to form a paste.
Heat 1 tin of the coconut milk, the sugar and the salt in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved. In a bowl, slowly whisk the remaining tin of coconut milk into the cornflour, ensuring there are no lumps. Add this to the saucepan, mix everything together and cook for 4-6 minutes over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick. Use a spatula to stir the mixture, making sure the bottom does not burn or become lumpy.
When thickened, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. If there are any lumps pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.
Stir the sesame seed paste into the ice cream mixture until combined.
Place parchment paper onto the surface to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool completely. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until well chilled.
You can speed this process up by placing the bowl into an ice bath.
Churn in an ice cream maker according to the instructions. Alternatively, pour the mixture into a wide, flat (preferably metal) tray and place in the freezer. After 40 minutes, use a fork to mix and break down the ice crystals. Repeat this process twice more, at 40-minute intervals. You can blitz it all in a food processor at the final stage to make it really smooth.
Return to the tray and leave in the freezer to set fully. Remove 15 minutes before serving to give the ice cream a chance to soften.
Fishcake Soup
aw-muk guk
Serves 4
Ingredients
Broth
12 large dried anchovies
200g daikon radish, peeled and cut into slices
1/4 onion, chopped
1 x 13cm piece of dried kelp
1 red chilli, halved lengthways and seeds removed (optional)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 flat fishcakes
24 fish balls
Sea salt
Dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi paste
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
Make the broth. Tear the heads off the dried anchovies, then use a small, sharp knife to gently tease open the underside of the belly and remove the little black pouches. Place them in a pan over a high heat and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add them to a large pan along with 2 litres of water, cover with a lid and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the anchovies from the broth and discard.
Add the radish, onion, kelp and chilli, if using, to the broth. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain the broth through a sieve, into a bowl, and discard the flavouring ingredients but reserve the radish. Return the radish to the same pan with the strained stock, the spring onions and soy sauce.
Prepare the flat fishcakes. Soak them in a bowl of just-boiled water for about 15 seconds, just until soft and pliable. Fold them twice, lengthways, as you would an A4 letter – you should have 3 layers. Take 1 folded fishcake and thread it onto a wooden skewer (see photo opposite).
Repeat with the remaining fishcakes. For the fish balls, simply thread 3 balls onto each skewer. Add the fish skewers to the pan and bring to the boil, then immediately turn off the heat, otherwise the fishcakes will lose their shape and fall apart. Taste and season with a little salt if necessary.
Serve immediately with a couple of fish skewers in each bowl and the dipping sauce on the side.
Kimchi Pancake
kimchi jeon
Serves 2
Ingredients
Batter
150g kimchi
100g plain flour
40g glutinous rice flour (or plain flour)
3 tbsp kimchi liquid
Good pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp to drizzle
Dipping sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Pinch of toasted sesame seeds
Pinch of gochugaru red pepper powder
Instructions
Slice the kimchi into bite-size pieces. Place the pieces in a large bowl, together with 130ml of water and the remaining batter ingredients (apart from the vegetable oil). Mix until just combined and the consistency of thick batter.
In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan over a high heat.
When hot, pour in the batter and use the back of a spoon to smooth the batter out to the edge of the pan – this will take a little effort, as the batter is thick. Fry for 3 minutes until golden and crispy, then flip over and drizzle the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil around the side of the pancake. Fry for another 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy, then slide onto a plate or board, cut into pieces and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
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