Eric Kim’s Oi Sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi) has one of my favorite headnotes in Korean American – in it he describes having to translate his mom’s onomatopoeia-based directions (like song-song-song-song, the sound of scallions being sliced) into an actual repeatable recipe.
To make it, cucumbers are quickly blanched, cut into 3-inch sections, and quartered lengthwise, keeping the base intact so they hold together. Each one is then stuffed with a vibrant mixture of garlic chives, scallions, carrots, garlic, gochugaru, saeu-jeot (salted fermented shrimp), fish sauce, and green plum syrup.
You can eat them fresh, or let them ferment at room temperature for a day before digging in. The cucumbers stayed remarkably crisp, while the filling was spicy, savory, garlicky, and just a little sweet.
Such a great way to use up a big haul of late-summer cucumbers.
Book: Korean American, page 81
Rating: 4/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: Maesil cheong (green plum syrup)
Recipe not online
