Korean Spicy Tofu Soup

This spicy tofu soup is one of my favorite Korean dishes, and it makes for great comfort food, especially on a cold day. It takes a little bit of preparation to make the stock, but I suppose you could just replace the stock with water. I strongly recommend going to a Korean or Asian market and buying the small earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) as you can cook the dish in it and then serve the soup directly in it. I got this from the awesome Korean cooking site, Maangchi

Ingredients

For stock:

• 8 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed
• 5 ounces of radish, peeled, washed, and sliced thinly
• dried kelp (6 x 4 inch pieces)

For tofu soup:

• 2 tablespoons hot pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup meat, cut into thin and small pieces
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 green onion, chopped
• ½ cup well-fermented kimchi (4 ounces), chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tube of soft tofu (sundubu)
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Make anchovy kelp stock. Put dried anchovies, radish, dried kelp, and 4 cups of water in a pot. Cover and boil over medium high heat for 10 minutes until it starts boiling. Reduce the heat to low and boil another 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain. It will make about 2 cups of stock.
2. Make the spicy paste. Combine the hot pepper flakes and the sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Put it all together. Heat up a 3 cup earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) on the stove over medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. If you use a small heavy pan or pot, it will take less.
4. Add the vegetable oil, onion, and garlic. Stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
5. Add the pork. Stir for 3 minutes until the pork is no longer pink.
6. Add kimchi and keep stirring for a minute. Add ½ cup anchovy stock. Cover and cook for 7 minutes over medium heat.
7. Add the salt and the sugar and mix well.
8. Cut the tube of soft tofu into half and squeeze it out into the pot. Gently break up the tofu with a wooden spoon. If you want, add a few tablespoons of stock.
9. Put the hot pepper mixture on top and spread it with the spoon.
10. Crack the egg and put it on top, in the center of the stew. Let it bubble and sizzle for 1 minute. Serve with a small bowl of rice.

Serves 1 lucky person.