3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 onions, finely diced
Sea salt flakes, to taste
300 g kimchi, chopped
60 g unsalted butter
300 g risotto rice
180mL dry white wine (optional)
1 L light chicken or vegetable stock, kept warm
1 1/2 Tbs doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)
100 g Parmesan, grated
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
3 Tbs snipped chives
30 g gim jaban (crumbled toasted seasoned seaweed), optional
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt. Sauté very gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until evenly softened. You will notice fragrant aromas of the onion as it cooks down to release its natural sweetness.
Stir in the kimchi and continue sautéeing for about 8 minutes to gently caramelise everything together; you may want
to increase the heat a touch towards the end if the kimchi still appears too wet.
Keep the heat to low–medium and add 20 g of the butter to the pan, along with the rice. Stir energetically to evenly coat the rice in the melted butter and sauté for a couple of minutes until the grains of rice appear almost translucent in places. Add the wine, if using, and let it bubble rapidly for 1–2 minutes so that the alcohol evaporates and the liquid is absorbed into the rice.
Gradually add the warm stock a ladleful at a time, waiting for the rice to absorb the stock before adding any more and stirring continuously. Stir in the doenjang. You may or may not need all the stock but gauge as you go along. Cook gently until the rice is cooked through but still with a little bite; it should take 15–20 minutes from the moment you stirred in the rice. You should notice the very gentle bubbles erupting through the grains of rice as you cook.
When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and the remaining butter. Beat vigorously together to incorporate the butter and cheese; the rice should be creamy and floppy enough to fall off the spoon easily. Add a touch more stock or water if it needs loosening a bit. Check the seasoning and adjust it with a pinch more salt and some black pepper to taste. Stir in the chives. Cover the pan and leave to rest for a couple of minutes to relax the grains.
Serve about two 350 g portions of risotto in two bowls and finish with a touch more Parmesan, if you like. Serve while warm.
Stir the gim jaban, if using, into the remaining 750 g of risotto and transfer to a large flat tray or surface, spreading thinly to cool quickly.
Once cooled, transfer to a lidded container and keep refrigerated for up to two days to make kimchi arancini Scotch eggs.
Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Pocha by Su Scott published by Quadrille Photography: ©Toby Scott RRP $49.99.
