Korean Frog Leg Jjigae Soup

     This is a typical Korean jjigae style hot spicy soup.  There is no tomato in this soup.  The broth is red from hot red chili peppers!
     Jjigae is usually made in a red hot earthen ware pot that is heated on a stove top.  The jjigae boils long after being sat at the table.  That style of Korean jjigae presentation is very appealing!  The aroma of a boiling jjigae at a table is captivating.
     Jjigae earthenware pots are not always easy to come by.  A jjigae soup can still be served with conventional methods.
  
     Korean Frog Leg Jjigae Soup Recipe:
     Heat a sauce pot over medium high heat.
     Add 3 cups of beef broth.
     Bring the beef broth to a boil.
     Add 2 teaspoons of minced ginger.
     Add 4 minced garlic cloves.
     Add 4 or 5 thick daikon radish slices.
     Boil till the daikon radish just starts to become tender.
     Add 5 or 6 large bite size pieces of celery.
     Add 5 or 6 pieces of thick bite size carrot sticks.
     Add 1/2 cup of bite size onion pieces.
     Add 1 green onion that is cut into bite size pieces.
     Add 1 cup of sliced green kale leaves.
     Add 6 to 8 bite size pieces of red bell pepper.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of thin soy sauce.
     Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
     Add black pepper and sea salt.
     Add 3 tablespoons of Korean red serrano chile paste.  (sambal)
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of Korean red chile powder.  (You can mix cayenne pepper and paprika together if Korean red chile powder is not available.)
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of red miso paste.
     Add 1/3 cup of daikon radish kimchi.
     Boil till the vegetables become cooked al dente.
     Add 2 large frog legs.
     Note:  Do not stir the jjigae after adding the frog legs.  Let the frog legs cook on the surface of the jjigae.
     Boil the jjigae, till the vegetables and frog legs become fully cooked.  The vegetables should be cooked a little bit more than al dente and they should not be mushy.
     While the jjigae is cooking, the egg can be poached.  (If a hot earthenware pot is used for this recipe, the egg can be added to the boiling jjigae at the table.)
     Poach an egg in salted water over medium/medium high heat.
   
     Presentation:
     Carefully remove the frog legs and set them aside.
     Ladle the jjigae into a soup bowl.
     Place the frog legs on the surface of the jjigae soup.
     Place the poached egg on top of the jjigae soup.
  
     This soup should have a large proportion of vegetables.  There is no tofu in this recipe.  Many Korean chefs only add a thick slice of tofu to the jjigae, if the jjigae is served as a stew or if tofu is a featured ingredient.  Daikon radish kimchi takes the place of cabbage kimchi in this recipe.  Daikon radish kimchi is used in Korean cooking just like cabbage kimchi.
     Kale is a cabbage family member and it is a nice alternative to bok choy.  Korean chili paste is usually made from red serrano peppers.
     Serve this soup with a bowl of steamed rice and several Korean banchan side dish appetizers.  This is one of my favorite Korean soups.  I have posted a few different recipes for this kind of Korean spicy jjigae soup in my past recipe blogs.  Hot, spicy yum!  ...  Shawna