Platter of Nine Delicacies (Gujeolpan)

The Platter of Nine Delicacies consists of bite-size crepes, called miljeonbyung, served with a variety of fillings and a spicy mustard sauce. The traditional platter on which the dish is served is shaped like an octagon, with nine compartments. The middle one holds the stack of crepes and the surrounding eight sections hold the fillings. In fact, the literal translation of gujeolpan is “nine-section plate.” If you don’t have such a platter, you can use any large platter. The real skill in preparing this dish is in the artful arrangement and balance of the items in accordance with the Five Elements. Traditional versions of this dish include dark manna lichen mushrooms to represent the black of the elements, but these mushrooms are not easy to find outside of Korea. I replace them with extra cucumber, since its crunchiness is a welcome contrast to the chewier shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, and beef.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 2 to 3 hours, until softened
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces beef brisket, cut into 2½-inch-long matchsticks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2½-inch-long matchsticks
• Kosher salt
• 1 large English cucumber, cut into 2½-inch-long matchsticks
• 4 ounces large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• About 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tablespoon chopped pine nuts, plus 5 whole nuts
• Korean Egg Garnish, cut into 2½-inch-long matchsticks
• Mustard and Garlic Sauce
• Short wooden skewers

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out the excess water. Remove the stems and reserve for another use, such as stock, if desired. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Mix with 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the honey, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl.
2. Mix the beef with the garlic, the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl.
3. Mix the carrot with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
4. Meanwhile, mix the cucumber with a pinch of salt in another bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then squeeze gently to remove excess water.
5. Thread each shrimp lengthwise onto a wooden skewer (this will prevent them from curling as they cook).
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium. Add ½ teaspoon of the vegetable oil and the carrot and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Transfer to a large platter.
7. Add another ½ teaspoon vegetable oil and the cucumber to the skillet and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Transfer to the platter.
8. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and the shrimp skewers to the skillet and cook until the undersides of the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Turn and cook for another minute. Turn the heat down to low and cook until the shrimp are cooked through but not browned, another minute or so. Transfer to the platter.
9. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and the mushrooms to the skillet and stir-fry until tender, a few minutes. Transfer to the platter.
10. Add the marinated beef to the skillet and cook, stirring, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the beef is cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the platter. Cover the platter with plastic wrap to prevent the ingredients from drying out.
11. Combine the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the water in a bowl and stir well. Strain the batter into another bowl, pressing down on any lumps with the back of a spoon. Stir again.
12. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few drops of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn the heat down to low. Add 1 tablespoon of the batter to the pan and spread it with the back of the spoon into a circle about 2½ inches in diameter. Repeat to fill the pan, without overcrowding. Let the crepes cook until they are slightly translucent and the edges are a little dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked crepes to a large plate or a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter. You will have about 30 crepes.
13. Stack the crepes in the center section of a gujeolpan (or other large platter). As you stack, sprinkle a few chopped pine nuts between each layer so the crepes won’t stick to each other. Arrange the 5 whole pine nuts in a flower shape on the top crepe.
14. Fill the remaining compartments with the carrot, egg white matchsticks, egg yolk matchsticks, beef, shrimp, mushrooms, and cucumber, filling the extra two sections with some of the mushrooms and cucumber (or arrange on the large platter). Put the mustard-garlic sauce in a bowl.
15. To eat, each guest should place a crepe on an individual plate, add a little of the fillings as desired, drizzle with the sauce, and wrap up.