Korean Fernbracken

Korean weird brown vegetable known as gosari on a white plate

This classic Korean side dish has an earthy, forest floor flavor with a texture that is slippery and fun to chew. It just needs to be hydrated well and stir fried with simple ingredients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Diet Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword weird brown Korean vegetable

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Servings

Calories 51kcal

Author Agile Test Kitchen

Ingredients

2 oz dried fern brake about a small handful of dried strands
2 Tb sesame oil, or other oil see Note 4
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tb soy sauce

Optional Garnish

toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Put fern brake in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes until the strands are hydrated and thick.
Turn off the heat and let sit for another 15-20 minutes. This helps them soak up more water and get softer. Drain and set aside.
Heat a pot to medium heat. Add the garlic and gently stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the hydrated and drained fern brake. Add soy sauce and stir fry for a few minutes until heated through. Taste and check for seasoning. Add salt if needed.
Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.

Notes

You can buy dried fernbrake in the vegetable aisle or presoaked fernbrake in the refrigerator section of Korean markets.
Fernbrake can come with or without flower buds at the top. Either variety will work depending on your preference or what you can find.
If you care not to cook your fern brake for 45 minutes, you can soak overnight to reduce cooking time. The texture should be soft but not mushy.
If you prefer not to cook with sesame oil due to its low smoke point, you can use another oil and finish with a little bit of sesame oil after cooking for flavor.
This will last up to a week in the fridge.
Serve as a side dish or add to Korean dishes such as bimbap or yuk gae jang.

Nutrition