Did you wait for me?

To post a delicious recipe?

Today let's make something spicy.

Here you go! (laughs)

These are 2 packages, I'm going to use only one package but I wanted to show you what they look like.

This is octopus, today we are going to make spicy stir-fried octopus.

In Korean, nakji-bokkeum.

Koreans love love love nakji-bokkeum, especially me. (laughs)

In your local Korean grocery store, check out the frozen section.

Easily you will be able to find frozen octopus. Nakji.

Two years ago maybe, I posted an octopus recipe.

I was traveling in France. I bought a huge octopus.

Probably you guys remember this.

Today is also octopus, but this is a *small* octopus.

"What? Koreans are eating -- how many kinds of octopus do they eat??"

There are tons of different kinds of octopus.

Even some octopus are poisonous!

But Koreans eat 3 kinds of octopus.

Muneo - muneo is a big, large octopus.

And then today is nakji.

The other one is jukkumi, I will post a jukkumi recipe someday.

And then, let's do!

Either one, this one is one and a half pounds, and one and a half pounds...

So I will just use this guy

This was frozen. But last night I transferred to my refrigerator.

And then now it's just a little thawed out.

Look at that! Large, 2 large nakji.

Laying down!

So this is the head. Inside the head are the intestines.

Cut like this...

And take it out easily.

I just cut it in half like this.

And mouth is here.

Take it out.

So my second one, second nakji, let's do.

And open...

Around here...

Put it here...

And easily I can clean up.

And now you need to tenderize.

I use salt or flour.

Just wheat flour.

Really really massage. While you are giving it a massage all the flesh is going to be tenderized.

So very important!

I use flour.

Wheat flour, about 2 tablespoons.

And then massage!

This is my hot water, because it's too cold.

Sometimes I will dip my hands here.

Maybe you guys might think: "Maangchi, why don't you wait until it's totally, fully thawed?"

Yeah, I cannot wait, that's the problem!

These suckers, all dirty stuff should come out.

And also tenderized.

Ok I think it's good.

Let's wash!

Now very soft.

Let's blanch.

From now, 10 times: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

10 seconds.

If I don't blanch this nakji, when I stir-fry with salty seasonings

Later when the water comes out it's not going to be a pretty and delicious looking nakji-bokkeum.

And also it's a little cooked.

For 2 reasons I have to blanch.

Heavy, heavy!

Let's cut this into bite sized pieces.

And you can split this way.

Around 2 and a half or 3 inches long.

When I cook this, it's going to be shrunk.

Ok now we are going to make seasonings.

Just simple: green onion, this is a large green onion called dae-pa.

I will use this one large green onion.

Or you guys can use small green onions.

Maybe 3 or 4 green onions.

I will use one large dae-pa, and one small sized onion. This is around half cup sized.

Garlic. We need lots of garlic, 7 large garlic cloves.

And around 2 teaspoons ginger.

And this is a spicy Korean green chili pepper.

From a Korean store, or you guys can use a jalepeno.

My rice is done.

Today I used a small pan and then made really nice fluffy rice.

And also I like to eat some burnt rice, burnt, scorched nurungi.

Fluff the rice like this.

Then let's prepare seasoning.

Let's start with garlic.

7 garlic cloves.

Ginger.

When I was in university, a long time ago in Korea,

There was a district really famous for nakji-bokkeum.

Best of best taste.

I used to go there often.

Now that place is all gone and it was called mugyo-dong nakji.

Mugyo-dong is the name of the district.

And a couple of years ago I visited Korea and I found a famous place for nakji.

Because I love love nakji-bokkeum.

I talked to the owner. I wanted to get some hint.

"Oh, you guys probably use frozen octopus."

He said: "Yes, it has to be frozen octopus!" That's what he said.

Of course I ordered nakji-bokkeum.

That was really tasty and spicy spicy.

But I saw that it was different from the najki-bokkeum that I used to eat a long time ago in my university period.

Because that nakji-bokkeum used a lot of green onion.

These days, it's changed. It looks all red.

And I really love it, actually.

So when I came home I really wanted to develop this recipe.

Garlic and ginger

Done. This is green chili pepper.

This is really spicy green chili pepper.

These seeds are brown.

I'd like to get rid of this part...

And just chop it up.

Onion. I like the onion also in little chunks.

But I don't want the slices to really stand out.

I want to cut into small cubes.

And this green onion. Green onion, too.

Chop this way.

Let's make some spicy seasoning.

I will use 1/4 cup hot pepper flakes.

Soy sauce, 3 tablespoons.

And sugar. 1 tablespoon.

1 tablespoon potato starch, we need.

1/4 cup rice syrup.

And then mix.

So we just make really gooey stuff.

Freshly ground black pepper.

Around half a teaspoon.

Ok, my rice is done.

So now, let's cook!

So what I'm going to do is, when my pan is hot,

I'll add oil, this is vegetable oil.

And then all this - green onion, onion, garlic, ginger, and I'll put it here.

And then I'll stir-fry until the garlic is a little crispy.

And then, this seasoning and nakji - this octopus - together.

That's it! And then be ready to eat!

One... two - about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. 2 or 3 tablespoons.

Now this smells so good!

This house is full of good smell!

Even I didn't add octopus yet!

You see? My garlic is a little light brown.

Crispy.

That's great! And also onion is translucent.

Ok, now...

Put this nakji.

And then stir.

it looks so good, doesn't it?

Because this octopus is already blanched.

So we don't have to cook long.

If you cook for a long time, it's going to be tough.

I just cooked only 2 or 3 minutes.

You can choose the thickest guy, and with this wooden skewer.

Like this. Done!

Turn off. And then sesame oil!

One teaspoon sesame oil.

Yummy! Look at this!

That's it!

This is my ssamjang, and this is a Kirby cucumber.

These days very very crunchy.

I kept this in the refrigerator, very refreshing and crispy looking.

I will bring my rice!

Without rice I cannot imagine nakji-bokkeum.

Because rice and nakji-bokkeum really go well together, you know? (laughs)

My rice...

Mmm!

Mm! Delicious.

And then another way eating is, rice.

Rice this amount.

And scoop this. This is the way you guys are eating together.

Then, mix.

Mm! (laughs)

So delicious I keep eating! Mm.

I just added green chili pepper, really spicy.

If you guys can't eat too much spicy food just skip it.

(crunching) Mmm. Mm! (laughs)

So I'll just go back to my nakji-bokkeum I'm going to finish my meal.

Koreans love this, that's why every Korean grocery store they sell this.

Today we made nakji-bokkeum.

Spicy stir-fried octopus.

Enjoy my recipe, see you next time!

Bye!