Cooking 12 Servings Using Pocheon Tomatoes: What are the Chefs' Secret Recipes?

According to a video from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation's official YouTube channel 'Seasonal Food Showdown', students from Kyonggi University's Department of Culinary Arts and a team of seasonal chefs held a group cooking competition to complete 12 servings of tomato dishes for the residents of Jangdokdae Village in Pocheon within a 60-minute time limit. This competition was divided into the 'Tomato Deokhu' team and the 'Tomak-tomak Yahoo' team, showcasing each team's strategy to maximize the flavor of the seasonal ingredient, Pocheon tomatoes.

The Meeting of Tomato and Bulgogi: Strategy of the 'Tomato Deokhu' Team

First, the 'Tomato Deokhu' team prepared a bulgogi dish using tomatoes, taking the elderly residents' tastes into consideration. The students chose to grind tomatoes to use as a base for the seasoning sauce, adding duck and bulgogi seasoning to enhance the flavor. When they judged that the seasoning lacked depth during the cooking process, assistant chefs were seen bringing 5-year aged soy sauce stored in Jangdokdae to supplement the taste of the seasoning.

In particular, they composed a meat dish to provide protein supplementation and added tomato marinade to increase the level of perfection. The process included removing the seeds from the tomatoes, preparing them into appropriate sizes, marinating them, and placing them on top as a garnish. Additionally, to increase meal satisfaction, they suggested the idea of making scorched rice (nurungji) toppings by cooking rice, making the menu composition more abundant.

Maximizing Fresh Flavor: The 'Tomak-tomak Yahoo' Team's Recipe

On the opposite side, the 'Tomak-tomak Yahoo' team challenged themselves with a tomato makguksu dish that highlighted the freshness and sweet charm of tomatoes. They made a seasoning sauce based on tomatoes and emphasized freshness by topping it with thinly sliced cucumbers and perilla leaves. To capture the taste of the seasoning sauce, a process of adjusting the intensity of the flavor by adding sugar and syrup was carried out.

During the cooking process, specific tips to maximize the aroma of sesame seeds were shared. It was mentioned that if you toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan first and then grind them, rather than grinding them immediately, the aroma rises more intensely. Also, to preserve the fresh texture of the perilla leaves, the process included soaking the perilla leaves in cold water at the final stage and then using them after draining the water. When making the seasoning sauce, they added flavor through a process of sautéing green onions first before grinding them.

Know-how on Group Cooking and Ingredient Preparation Shared by Chefs

In this competition, the skilled techniques of the experts participating as assistant chefs were added to the students' cooking. When preparing vegetables, methods for positioning fingers and adjusting the angle of the knife were presented so that cucumbers could be sliced smoothly without breaking. Additionally, a method for making 'Tomato Roses' using tomatoes was introduced to increase visual perfection. They implemented a flower shape by removing the skin while leaving the part that would serve as the base of the tomato and then rolling it up.

Due to the nature of group cooking, where 12 servings must be produced within a limited time, efficient ingredient preparation and division of roles were key. The students utilized efficient food supply methods, such as procuring necessary ingredients through Hanaro Mart's 'Singsing Meori' service. During the short 60 minutes, various tomato dishes were completed through the combination of the students' popping recipes and the chefs' brilliant skills.