“Bibimbap (‘bap’ means rice and ‘bibim’ is the verb to mix) will always be on the menu at Moon Park in some form,” says Sears. “There’s no definitive recipe, only endless regional variations, so it’s something you can play around with – as long as you keep the rice and mixing, you stay true enough to the original intentions. The burnt-butter crumble is not very Korean, but since nutty flavours are common to the cuisine, and it complemented what we had in the bowl, we thought we could sneak it in. We serve the gochujang on the side, so each guest can choose how spicy their rice will be.” Begin this recipe a day ahead to soak the rice.
Ingredients
Butter crumb
Method
Main
1.Cook rice in a rice cooker or by absorption method; place rice in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2cm, bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and cook until all water is absorbed (15-20 minutes). Set aside covered for 10 minutes. Season with soy sauce.
2.Pick through the crab meat, ensuring there’s no cartilage or shell. Dress with lemon juice and half the grapeseed oil and season to taste.
3.Blanch broccolini (1 minute). Refresh in iced water, drain and lightly dress with salt and remaining grapeseed oil.
4.For the butter crumb, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the milk powder, turn the heat up to medium-high and stir continuously until butter foams up and becomes golden brown and smells nutty (3-5 minutes). Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding liquid. The milk powder in the strainer should be toasted and crisp. Spread out on paper towels to soak up excess fat, then store in an airtight container. Stored this way, the butter crumb will keep for up to 3 months.
5.To serve, divide rice among bowls. Arrange crab, broccolini, spring onion, nori, walnuts and butter crumbs on top in distinct portions, covering the rice completely. Serve with gochujang to the side.
Drink Suggestion: 2012 Domaine de l’Anglore Tavel rosé. Drink suggestion by Ned Brooks
Notes