Hooni Kim’s Summer Soju Sangria
Serves 8
For years Hooni Kim’s food has earned him raves, including a Michelin Star — the first ever awarded to a Korean restaurant — for Danji. His background in world-class French and Japanese kitchens seamlessly combines with his knowledge of the techniques of traditional Korean cuisine to create uniquely flavorful dishes. My Korea, his long-awaited debut cookbook, introduces home cooks to the Korean culinary trinity: doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang (fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, and fermented red chili paste). These key ingredients add a savory depth and flavor to the 90 recipes that follow. Complete with thoughtful notes on techniques and sourcing and gorgeous photography from across Korea, this cookbook will be an essential resource for home cooks, a celebration of the deliciousness of Korean food by a master chef. This refreshing sangria-like cocktail is perfect for summer.
On a trip to Spain the summer before I opened Danji, I discovered a new favorite drink, the Tinto de Verano, which can be found at every tapas or pintxos bar. The name of this refreshing cocktail, which is a mix of red wine and lemon-lime soda, translates as “red wine of summer,” and it is very similar to sangria. I was inspired to create a similar drink with a Korean twist by adding soju. The soju in this delicious fruity cocktail packs a very subtle punch. This is best served in the summer, when the stone fruit and berries are ripe and at their sweetest. Seasonal local fruits will always taste best.
Makes 32 ounces; serves 8
3 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 ripe plums, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound strawberries, cut into ½-inch cubes
Two 375-ml bottles soju (preferably Jinro 24; make sure that the soju you buy is over 20% ABV)
4 cups sparkling rosé
2 cups San Pellegrino Aranciata or Orangina soda
Divide the fruit between two quart-sized Mason jars. Pour 1 bottle of soju into each jar. Cover and let the fruit infuse for at least 48 hours, at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (The fruit will keep almost indefinitely if submerged in the soju.)
To serve, pour the fruit and soju into a large pitcher. Add the sparkling rosé and the orange soda. Stir well to blend and pour into eight glasses filled with ice. Alternatively, you can divide the punch between two ice-filled pitchers and pour into empty glasses. Serve immediately.
Reprinted from My Korea. Copyright © 2020 Hooni Kim. Photography copyright © by Kristin Tieg. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
An Epicurious Spring 2020 “Book We Want to Cook from Now” • An Eater Best Cookbook of Spring 2020 • A Food52 “Best New Cookbook of 2020…So Far” • A New York Times “New Cookbook Worth Buying”
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