A spur of the moment dinner turned out to be a week-night hit. It should also be good for a simple Sunday supper. The bottom of the rice base is crispy, and the top side of rice is soft. Rice and vegetables from the lighter side come together with rich, gooey cheddar cheese.
Start by letting some leftover rice - in my case, sweet brown rice (현미 찹쌀; hyeon mi chap ssal) - slowly toast on a cast iron pan over low heat, shaped into one big flat pancake. In the meantime, sauté a sliced onion and sliced mushrooms with a pinch of salt. A splash of red wine (ok, more than a splash) is added and reduced, then finish with vinegar and pepper.
From the rice base, build layers of sharp cheddar cheese, mushroom and onion slices, perilla leaves (깻잎; ggaennip), and finish with more cheddar cheese. Broil for about 5-10 minutes in the oven until the cheese on top melts. Drizzle cho gochujang (초고추장; red chili paste sauce mixed with vinegar and honey) over crispy bibimbap. Yum!
KOREAN WORDS
brown rice 현미 (hyeon mi)
sweet rice 찹쌀 (chap ssal)
