Chewy Cockle Bibim Kalguksu Recipe
Emulating a TV Famous Dish: Making Yeongdeungpo-style Cockle Bibim Kalguksu at Home
Hello everyone! Today, I tried making the famous Cockle Bibim Kalguksu from Yeongdeungpo, which was featured on the TV show ‘The Master of Life’. While I couldn’t replicate it exactly, I was inspired to try and recreate a similar version at home. This dish features fresh cockles, crisp vegetables, and a savory-sweet sauce that will whet your appetite. It’s a perfect dish for a weekend treat!
Main Ingredients- 500g cockles
- 1/3 cucumber
- 1/5 carrot
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 6 perilla leaves
- A little bit of cabbage
Spicy and Sweet Bibim Sauce- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (generous tablespoon)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (generous tablespoon)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s properly purge the cockles of any sand or grit. Place the cockles in a bowl and cover them with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and about 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Cover the bowl with a black plastic bag to block out light and let them purge for 30 minutes. This process helps remove impurities for a cleaner taste.
Step 2
Thinly julienne the cucumber, carrot, lettuce, perilla leaves, and cabbage. Don’t worry if you don’t have all these vegetables; you can still make a delicious dish with what you have. Julienne them finely for easier mixing.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the delicious sauce that is key to this dish! The recipe below is for one serving. If you’re making it for two or more people, simply increase all ingredients proportionally. (The photo might look like a small portion because it’s for one serving ㅠ.ㅠ)
Step 4
Next, we’ll cook the cockles. I prefer mine slightly undercooked for a chewier texture, so I boiled them for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. If you like them fully cooked, boil for about 2 minutes, or until all the cockles have opened. Immediately rinse the cooked cockles under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 5
Carefully remove the cockle meat from its shell. Gently pry the meat out so it doesn’t break; this is key to a good presentation.
Step 6
Boil the kalguksu noodles for about 7 to 8 minutes. Since fresh noodles are quite starchy and tend to stick together, stir them gently with chopsticks while cooking. Adding a splash of cold water occasionally during boiling helps create wonderfully chewy noodles. Once cooked, quickly rinse the noodles under cold water to wash away excess starch.
Step 7
Assemble the dish by placing the cooked kalguksu noodles in a bowl. Arrange the julienned vegetables attractively on top, then add the prepared cockle meat. Generously drizzle the bibim sauce over everything. Finally, mix it all together and enjoy your homemade Cockle Bibim Kalguksu! The burst of cockle flavor combined with the savory and sweet sauce is truly delightful.
