Chef Cheon Sang-hyun’s All-Purpose Pickled Onion Recipe
Chef Cheon Sang-hyun’s Secret from ‘The Best Cooking Secrets’: Making Delicious and Refreshing Pickled Onions
Onions are a treasure trove for our health! Let’s explore how their unique compounds benefit our bodies. Methionine and cystine are excellent for removing heavy metals, while abundant antioxidants and quercetin offer potent anti-cancer properties and help prevent high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Today, we’re making ‘Pickled Onions,’ a perfect companion to any meat dish, cutting through richness and enhancing flavor. This recipe comes from Chef Cheon Sang-hyun, renowned for his time as a chef at the Blue House, featured in ‘The Best Cooking Secrets.’ Let’s learn his simple yet elegant method!
Main Ingredients- 70g Onion (approx. 1/2 medium onion)
- A pinch of shredded perilla leaves
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the main ingredient: the onion. Slice the onion as thinly as possible into fine shreds. Thin slices allow the sauce to penetrate well and create a pleasant crisp texture.
Step 2
Next, let’s prepare the perilla leaves. Instead of rinsing them directly, soak the perilla leaves in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps loosen any dirt or debris. After soaking, rinse them thoroughly a few times and gently pat them dry.
Step 3
Once the perilla leaves are dry, roll them up tightly, similar to making a sushi roll. When sliced, these will form beautiful shreds that add a lovely presentation and aroma to your pickled onions.
Step 4
Now, let’s make the key component: the pickling sauce! In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Whisk everything together until the sugar is completely dissolved. It’s crucial that the sugar dissolves fully to avoid any bitterness.
Step 5
We highly recommend adding minced garlic! Chef Cheon Sang-hyun specifically mentioned using coarsely minced garlic, which imparts a wonderful pungent aroma and flavor, elevating the pickled onions.
Step 6
Add the thinly sliced onions to the prepared pickling sauce. Gently toss to coat the onions evenly, and let them pickle for 10 minutes. To ensure the sauce marinates thoroughly, flip the onions halfway through, around the 5-minute mark.
Step 7
After 10 minutes, arrange the pickled onions attractively on a serving plate. Top generously with the rolled and shredded perilla leaves for a beautiful color contrast and fragrant finish.
Step 8
Voila! Chef Cheon Sang-hyun’s versatile pickled onions from ‘The Best Cooking Secrets’ are ready. The delightful combination of crisp onions, aromatic perilla leaves, and the sweet and tangy sauce is perfect with any meat dish. Enjoy this delicious condiment!
