KIMBAP KIT RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, rinse rice twice. Fill bowl with fresh water and let rice soak 30 minutes.  Fill a pot with 2" of water. Place drained, soaked rice in a steamer or fine-meshed sieve that fits tightly over your pot and cover pot with lid. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until rice grains turn from opaque to translucent, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes. Transfer rice to a large bowl, then gently mix with sesame oil and salt. Set aside and let cool. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. In a large skillet over medium heat, brush oil evenly across the bottom and sides of pan.  Reduce heat to medium-low then add eggs, swirling pan several times to make a thin layer. Cook until the edges of the omelette begin to peel away from pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently flip and cook up to 1 minute more until eggs are fully set.  Remove from pan, sprinkle lightly with salt, then let cool and slice into thin strips. To a pot of salted boiling water, add carrots and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with tongs and transfer to a medium bowl. Add to bowl soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, and garlic. Stir until well combined, then let cool. To the pot of salted boiling water, add perilla leaves and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with tongs and transfer to a medium bowl. Let cool completely. Squeeze out and drain all remaining water, then roughly chop blanched leaves. Return to bowl and stir in sesame oil and salt until well combined. Lay 1 sheet nori on a bamboo mat, then scoop about a cup of rice on top. With dampened hands, spread rice evenly across 80% of the seaweed.  Place a quarter of the tuna in a straight line on top of the rice, then follow with strips of egg, carrot, perilla, and danmuji.  Lift the bamboo mat from the end closer to you and fold it over to meet the edge of the rice in a tight roll. Squeeze firmly to compact the roll, then continue rolling along the spiral log to seal the edge. Brush rolled kimbap with a thin layer of sesame oil and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Prepare the spinach: Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the spinach until it turns bright green, about 45 seconds. Transfer the spinach to an ice bath, or transfer it to a colander set in the sink and run the spinach under cold water. Squeeze it to remove excess water and place it in a bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix well and set aside.
• Prepare the remaining ingredients for the kimbap filling: In a large, well-oiled skillet, working in separate batches, sauté the carrots, eomuk and Spam over high, seasoning the carrots and eomuk with salt and pepper to taste (the Spam does not need extra salt), until just tender and lightly golden. Set aside.
• In an oiled nonstick skillet, cook the beaten eggs with a pinch of salt. Swirl the pan to cover the entire surface area and as soon as the bottom is set, about 2 minutes, use a rubber spatula to carefully flip the egg like a pancake, doing your best to keep it in one piece. Cook just until the egg is no longer runny and has just set, another 30 seconds. Slide the cooked eggs onto a cutting board and let cool. Once cooled, cut into long, 1/4-inch-thick strips and set aside.
• Prepare the rice: Place the warm, freshly cooked rice into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Mix well with a large spoon.
• Assemble the kimbap: Lay 1 sheet of gim on a bamboo mat. (If you don’t have a bamboo mat available, you can lay a clean tea towel on a flat surface and top it with plastic wrap.) Spread about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of rice across two-thirds of the seaweed sheet in an even layer, leaving the top third of the seaweed empty. (You might want to have a small bowl of water handy, so you can wet your fingers to prevent the rice from sticking to them.) Spread the prepared ingredients horizontally in rows, starting from the side closest to you.
• Roll the kimbap: Using both hands and the help of the bamboo mat, starting from the side closest to you, lift up the bottom of the seaweed and fold it up to cover the filling, tucking in the filling with your fingers. Use the bamboo mat to apply even and firm pressure, pressing to ensure the filling stays in place. Continue rolling until you reach the end of the rice.
• To close the kimbap roll, using your fingertips, spread a small amount of water at the edge of the empty seaweed and roll to seal. If the kimbap doesn’t close, spread a little rice to use the rice as an adhesive. Repeat with the remaining seaweed and ingredients. Each time you roll, reposition the kimbap at the bottom of the bamboo mat.
• To serve, lightly brush the rolls with sesame oil. (This will keep your kimbap moist and shiny.) Using a sharp knife and applying even pressure, cut the kimbap into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve and enjoy! (If preparing in advance, prepare the fillings except the rice and store in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, make the rice and assemble your kimbap. Avoid assembling your kimbap too far in advance as refrigerating your kimbap will cause the rice to harden.)