Fragrant Meongge Bibimbap (Sea Squirt Rice Bowl)
A spring one-bowl specialty made with cleaned seasonal sea squirt and fresh vegetables tossed in sweet and tangy vinegar-gochujang sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This one-bowl dish harmonizes the delicate aroma of in-season sea squirt with fresh vegetables. Letting the sweet and spicy homemade vinegar-gochujang sauce rest for a few hours deepens its flavor even further. It is a light, easy-to-prepare spring delicacy that revives lost appetite.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Sea squirt (meongge)6 (large)
- Assorted vegetablesas needed
- Bowl of cooked rice2 servings
Vinegar-gochujang sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)5 tbsp
- Vinegar3–4 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp (fine)
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil
- Ground black pepper
- Prepare lettuce, perilla leaves, sprout vegetables, or whatever you have on hand in your refrigerator.
Steps
1. Rinse the sea squirts lightly under running water, then trim off a little of the top part and cut off the root base.
2. Cut the middle of the body open with scissors...
3. Peel the flesh away from the skin using your fingers, and it will separate cleanly.
4. Press on the green, vein-like viscera inside the sea squirt flesh and push them outward to remove them.
5. Rinse under running water and drain in a strainer to remove excess moisture.
Do not throw away the top tips of the sea squirt.
When you pop them in your mouth and chew, the chewy little bits of meat slip right out, which is so fun to eat.
6. Chop the sea squirt flesh finely.
7. Mix all the vinegar-gochujang sauce ingredients together; it is best if you let it age for a few hours before eating.
8. I prepared a little bit of radish sprouts, water dropwort (minari), and spergularia (sebalnamul) that were left in the refrigerator.
Prepare lettuce, perilla leaves, sprout vegetables, or whatever you have on hand in your refrigerator.
Place a generous serving of rice, vegetables, and chopped sea squirt flesh into a bowl,
drizzle generously with seaweed flakes and toasted sesame oil, and mix it all together with the vinegar-gochujang sauce to enjoy.
Ppunwife's tips
- Do not throw away the top tips of the sea squirt. When you pop them in your mouth and chew, the chewy little bits of meat slip right out, which is so fun to eat.
- Mix all the vinegar-gochujang sauce ingredients together; it is best if you let it age for a few hours before eating.
FAQ
Should I throw away the horn-like tips on the sea squirt?
Instead of throwing them away, pop them into your mouth and chew; the pleasantly chewy meat slips right out for a fun texture.
Is there a trick to making the vinegar-gochujang sauce taste better?
Mix the seasoning ingredients thoroughly and make the sauce a few hours ahead of time to let the flavors meld, which improves the depth of flavor.
What vegetables are best to use for the bibimbap?
Beyond radish sprouts, water dropwort, and spergularia, feel free to use whatever you have in the refrigerator, such as lettuce, perilla leaves, or sprout vegetables.
