Gamja Jorim
Gamja Jorim, or Korean braised potatoes, is one of my favorite banchan. I was a fairly picky eater growing up, and this was one of the few banchan that I consistently asked for more of each time I went to a Korean restaurant. It didn't quite turn out quite as delicious as the restaurant versions I remember, but it was still a delightful experience.
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 2 hr
Ingredients
> potatoes (baby or yukon gold, 2 lb)
> neutral oil
> water (1-2 cups)
> soy sauce (5 tbsp)
> sake (2 tbsp)
> brown sugar (2 tbsp)
> honey (2 tbsp)
> sesame oil (1/2 tbsp)
> sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Thoroughly wash and cut the potatoes into approximately 1-2 inch cubes, keeping the skin on.
2. Cook the potatoes in the braising pot with some oil over medium heat for ~25 minutes. Move the potatoes around frequently to ensure even browning.
3. Add water, soy sauce, sake, and brown sugar. Mix together, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer for about ~15 minutes, or until there is only 5-6 tbsp of sauce remaining.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add honey and sesame oil. Gently coat and continue to let simmer until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency, or about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the potatoes from the heat and let cool, ideally to room temperature or slightly chilled. Serve with some sesame seeds.
Notes/Tips:
> I think Yukon Gold or baby potatoes work best for this recipe. Make cuts depending on the size of the potatoes. For my (relatively small) Yukon golds, I cut each potato into 8 equally sized pieces, one cut in each direction. For baby potatoes, you could use them whole or cut them in half.
> As an alterative to cooking the potatoes over the stovetop, you could also roast them in the oven at 400F for an equivalent amount of time. If so, make sure to generously oil your baking sheet and flip them at least once in the middle to ensure even browning.
> This dish is definitely best enjoyed cooled. And it keeps fairly well, so don't be afraid to make a larger batch and consume them over the course of a few days.
> This is a baseline recipe that can easily be extended -- consider adding garlic, gochugaru, maybe a dash of vinegar to balance everything out, green onion, other vegetables, etc.