Chewy and Fresh Boiled Sea Grapes (Gompi)
How to Make Delicious and Healthy Boiled Sea Grapes (Gompi) at Home
Discover a simple yet delightful recipe for making chewy boiled sea grapes (Gompi) at home, perfect for a healthy and refreshing dish. Gompi, often found in Korean markets, resembles seaweed but has a firmer texture and distinctive porous appearance. It’s celebrated for its detoxifying properties, low calorie count making it ideal for diets, and rich antioxidant content. Moving beyond the usual preparation of simply mixing it with gochujang sauce, this recipe elevates Gompi by blanching it to perfection and topping it with a sweet and tangy gochujang dressing and fresh wild chives (dallae). This creates an elegant and refined ‘Gompi Sukhoe’ (blanched seafood/vegetables). The delightful crunch of the blanched Gompi combined with the appetizing gochujang sauce and aromatic dallae makes for an excellent appetizer or light side dish. It’s also practical: serve what you need and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a fresh, light meal over several days. Experience a burst of freshness with the zesty gochujang and the crisp Gompi that will awaken your palate.
Main Ingredients- 1 bundle Gompi (sea grapes)
- 5 stalks dallae (wild chives) for garnish
For Blanching Gompi- 1L water
- 1 Tbsp salt
Gochujang Dressing- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp rice syrup (or corn syrup/oligo syrup)
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1L water
- 1 Tbsp salt
Gochujang Dressing- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp rice syrup (or corn syrup/oligo syrup)
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, gently rinse the Gompi under running water to remove any debris. Then, place it in a colander to drain well. This step helps the Gompi maintain a firm texture when blanched.
Step 2
Bring 1L of water to a boil in a pot. Add 1 Tbsp of salt to the boiling water. The salt helps to reduce any fishy odor from the Gompi and enhances its vibrant green color.
Step 3
Once the water is boiling, carefully add the prepared Gompi. You’ll notice the Gompi instantly turns a vibrant green. Stir gently to ensure even cooking and color change. As soon as it turns green, remove it from the boiling water immediately. Be careful not to over-blanch, as it can become mushy.
Step 4
Immediately transfer the blanched Gompi into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Rinsing in cold water helps preserve its crisp texture. After rinsing, place the Gompi back in the colander and drain thoroughly.
Step 5
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the gochujang dressing: 2 Tbsp gochujang, 2 Tbsp rice syrup (or other syrup), 2 Tbsp vinegar, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Whisk until well combined to create a balanced sweet, sour, and spicy sauce.
Step 6
Wash the dallae (wild chives) thoroughly, trim the roots, and finely mince them. The fragrant aroma of the minced dallae will add a wonderful layer of flavor to the Gompi dish.
Step 7
Once the Gompi is well-drained, cut it into bite-sized pieces, approximately 5-7 cm long. Cutting them to a manageable length will make them easier to eat.
Step 8
Arrange the cut Gompi neatly on a serving plate. Drizzle the prepared gochujang dressing over the Gompi and sprinkle the minced dallae on top as a garnish. Your elegant Gompi Sukhoe is now ready to be served!
Step 9
If you have any leftover Gompi Sukhoe, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can enjoy its fresh and light taste again by simply taking it out and adding fresh gochujang dressing and dallae before serving.
