Korean Ojingeo Bokkeum Squid Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 12 oz cleaned squid, bodies cut into 1-inch pieces and tentacles halved
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp gochugaru, Korean chili flakes
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 small onion, sliced, and 2 scallions cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup sliced cabbage or zucchini
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 cups cooked short-grain rice, for serving

Steps

1. Rinse the squid and pat it thoroughly dry. Score the inside of the bodies in a light crosshatch, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and halve the tentacles. Dry squid sears; wet squid stews in its own liquid and turns rubbery.
2. Stir the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste it on its own: it should be sharply hot, salty, and only just sweet.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a wok or wide skillet over high heat until it shimmers and the pan is almost smoking. Add the onion and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the edges catch colour but the vegetables still have bite.
4. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, add the garlic and ginger to the clear space, and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant, without letting them brown.
5. Add the squid and stir-fry over the highest heat for 2 to 3 minutes only, until it turns opaque and the scored pieces curl. Squid is tender in the first three minutes and again after half an hour of braising, with nothing but rubber in between, so do not linger.
6. Pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute more, until it thickens slightly and coats everything with a gloss. Add the scallions for the last 30 seconds so they stay bright green.
7. Take the pan off the heat, stir through the sesame oil, and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve at once over hot rice, before the squid stiffens.

Allergen note: Contains gluten, sesame, soy and shellfish.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.