Fragrant Dotorimuk Muchim (Seasoned Acorn Jelly Salad)
Blanched acorn jelly tossed with fragrant chamnamul and a sweet and tangy dressing.
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 acorn jelly salad takes stiff store-bought jelly and briefly blanches it in boiling water to restore its chewy, bouncy texture. Tossing the jelly and chamnamul separately keeps the jelly from breaking apart and preserves the crisp texture of the greens longer. With its fragrant, pleasantly bitter notes, it makes a wonderful light pairing for drinks.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Acorn jelly (dotorimuk)1 pack, 300 g
- Chamnamul (Korean pimpinella)100 g
- Onion1/4
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Sugar (or green plum syrup (maesil-cheong))1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil (or perilla oil)1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- Instead of chamnamul, you can also use lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic chives, cucumber, or carrots.
- Unlike handmade acorn jelly, packaged store-bought jelly needs a quick blanch to regain that signature bouncy texture we all know.
Steps
Prepare the vegetables and make the dressing
Wash the chamnamul thoroughly, drain the water, and cut it into about 3 cm lengths to get a large handful.
Since sweet and pungent onion goes so well here, prepare 1/4 of an onion and slice it thin.
Instead of chamnamul, you can also use lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic chives, cucumber, or carrots.
Mix the seasoning sauce in advance.
Perilla oil also goes very well in dotorimuk muchim.
Prep and season the acorn jelly
Packaged acorn jelly is stiff and lacks elasticity.
Cut it into bite-sized pieces, not too thin, and blanch in rolling boiling water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
As it blanches, the stiff jelly turns soft and can easily break, so handle it gently.
Rinse several times and soak it until the internal heat is completely gone, then drain the water completely.
Once the jelly cools completely, it becomes chewy and bouncy.
Take about 1/3 of the dressing, coat the jelly evenly, and set aside so the flavors soak in.
Toss the chamnamul
Coat the chamnamul and onion with the remaining dressing.
If you toss them together with the jelly, the jelly breaks easily, so toss them separately and simply mound them together when plating.
Finish
Toss the jelly in the seasoning in advance so the flavor absorbs, and toss the chamnamul right before serving before arranging them together on a plate; this way, the dressing clings well to the jelly while keeping the texture and aroma of the vegetables lively.
The pleasantly bitter and fragrant chamnamul is so charming, and it pairs wonderfully in dotorimuk muchim.
Dotorimuk muchim also goes well with sour kimchi; it seems to welcome any ingredient without clashing with the flavors.
So today, I am leaving you with a plate of anju for makgeolli.
Have a wonderful holiday.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you toss them together with the jelly, the jelly breaks easily, so toss them separately and simply mound them together when plating.
- Toss the jelly in the seasoning in advance so the flavor absorbs, and toss the chamnamul right before serving before arranging them together on a plate; this way, the dressing clings well to the jelly while keeping the texture and aroma of the vegetables lively.
FAQ
Why do you blanch store-bought packaged acorn jelly?
Packaged acorn jelly is cold and stiff, so blanching it in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute and letting it cool restores its chewy, bouncy elasticity.
Why do you toss the jelly and chamnamul separately?
If you mix them all at once, the tender jelly crushes easily. Seasoning the jelly first and tossing the chamnamul right before serving keeps the dish neat and intact on the plate.
Is there a vegetable I can substitute if I do not have chamnamul?
Vegetables like lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic chives, cucumber, or carrots work nicely as substitutes.
Can I substitute another ingredient for sugar in the dressing?
You can use the same amount of green plum syrup (maesil-cheong) in place of sugar.
