pa ganghwe (scallions with spicy, sweet, sour sauce)

Pa ganghwe. A Korean dish made of lightly boiled scallions with a spicy, sweet, sour sauce called chojang.

A lot of the foods we eat here stateside—scallions aren’t the centerpiece to any dish—they’re typically used as a garnish, or used with garlic and/or onions to impart more flavor to one.

There’s something very (quietly) elegant about this dish in its simplicity, presentation and taste. It’s a good starter for a meal or can be enjoyed with several other small dishes. I ate the plate photographed above by myself … and if I were more ambitious I could have easily had another dozen.

The spicy, sweet sauce, chojang, is also versatile in that it can be eaten with a variety of foods as a dipping sauce—blanched broccoli, raw oysters and boiled shrimp. My favorite as a kid was eating it with boiled baby octopus—delicious!

Ingredients:

To prepare the scallions

• 2 small bunches of scallions (approx. 9-10)

• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

For the chojang sauce

• 2 tablespoons of gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

• 1 tablespoon of lemon lime soda

• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar (rice, apple cider or white)

• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Ingredients (L-R): scallions, sesame oil, sugar, lemon lime soda, salt, vinegar ( I used brown rice vinegar), gochujang and garlic powder

Directions:

To prepare the sauce

• Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. The consistency should be thinner than ketchup but thicker than tabasco sauce.

To prepare the scallions

• Rinse the scallions and trim both ends. Remove any layers that look wilted. Rinse again.

• Boil a pot of water. (I used a 4 quart pot and filled it about 1/3 of the way with water)

• Place the scallions into the boiling water, white ends first. Gently press the scallions into the pot as they sink/wilt from the heat. Once the scallions are fully submerged, boil them for 20 seconds.

• Drain the scallions. Wait for the scallions to cool down.

• Gently squeeze the scallions in the colander to remove any excess water.

• Next, place the cooled scallions in a large bowl with the sesame oil and salt, mix them all together, making sure the scallions are all evenly coated. I use gloves for this step.

• Tie the scallions in knots. The way it’s pictured in this recipe is not the traditional way to tie them—I do this because my fine motor/knot tying skills are a bit lacking.

• Serve the scallions with the chojang and enjoy!

Pictured: pa ganghwe, along with blanched broccoli, oysters and boiled shrimp.