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Bibimbap with Fried Egg

Name: Bibimbap with Fried Egg
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 2 cups cooked short-grain rice (hot); 4 ounces ground beef or thinly sliced beef; 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched; 1 cup spinach, blanched and squeezed dry; 1 medium carrot, julienned and sautéed; 1 medium zucchini, julienned and sautéed; 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste); 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 clove garlic, minced; Toasted sesame seeds; Vegetable oil, for frying

Bibimbap is assembled to be mixed. Each vegetable, called namul, is prepared separately: blanched and seasoned, or sautéed with garlic and sesame oil. The protein, typically bulgogi or ground beef seasoned with soy sauce and sesame, is cooked separately as well. Everything is arranged in distinct sections over a bowl of hot rice. The fried egg goes on top, sunny-side up, with the yolk completely intact. Gochujang is served alongside or placed on top of the egg. Before eating, everything is mixed together with chopsticks or a spoon until the rice, vegetables, protein, and egg are combined. The yolk breaks during mixing and coats the rice and vegetables with richness, acting as a sauce and a fat in one. This is why the yolk must be liquid when it goes on. A set yolk contributes nothing to the texture of the mixed dish. The word bibimbap translates directly as mixed rice. The egg is the last element added and the first one that matters when the dish is eaten.

Prep: 30 min Cook: 15 min Total: 45 min Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 cups cooked short-grain rice (hot)
4 ounces ground beef or thinly sliced beef
1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
1 cup spinach, blanched and squeezed dry
1 medium carrot, julienned and sautéed
1 medium zucchini, julienned and sautéed
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
Toasted sesame seeds
Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Season the beef: Toss with soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sugar, and garlic. Sear in a hot skillet until cooked through and slightly caramelized. Set aside.
Season each vegetable separately: Toss the blanched spinach with a drizzle of sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and sesame seeds. Do the same for bean sprouts. The carrot and zucchini should already be seasoned from sautéing with a pinch of salt.
Divide hot rice between two bowls. Arrange the vegetables and beef in separate sections on top of the rice, leaving the center open.
Fry the eggs: Heat a slick of oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Fry the eggs until the whites are set and the edges are crispy, but the yolks are still completely runny.
Place a fried egg in the center of each bowl. Add a generous spoonful of gochujang. Drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with sesame seeds.
To eat: break the yolk and mix everything together vigorously with a spoon. The yolk, gochujang, and sesame oil become the sauce.

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