Composed of crisp lettuce and herb leaves, fresh rice, and a savorysweet apple dipping sauce of my own invention, this dish is eaten traditional ssam style: Spoon some rice and dipping sauce onto a couple of leafy greens, wrap them up into a manageable bite, and eat the whole package in one shot. Ssamjang, the traditional Korean dipping sauce, is made with fermented soybean paste, Korean hot pepper paste, and sugar. My version was inspired by apple season at the Union Square Greenmarket here in New York City, where I decided to use a Royal Gala apple as a natural sweetener. It also added a crunchiness that’s not traditional. It’s important to keep the apple chunky and crisp by hand-chopping it. This dish is best eaten right away, as the ssamjang will separate if left to sit too long.
Serves 2 or 3
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
- 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
- 1 small sweet apple, such as Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and cut into ⅛-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- Green lettuce, red lettuce, chicory, or perilla (kkaenip) leaves for serving
- Chrysanthemum greens (ssuk-gat) and fresh cilantro sprigs for serving
- Fluffy White Rice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the soybean paste, hot pepper paste, apple, garlic, scallions, and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Arrange the greens and herbs in a shallow basket or on a platter.
- Tell your guests to hold a lettuce leaf on their palm, arrange a few chrysanthemum greens and a cilantro sprig on the lettuce, and scoop some rice on top.
- Spoon some of the apple ssamjang on top of the rice, wrap the lettuce around the rice and sauce, and enjoy immediately.
