Shrimp porridge (Saeu-juk: 새우죽)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces shelled, deveined, and washed shrimp, chopped
• 1 cup short grain rice, washed and soaked in cold water at least 30 minutes
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion (about ½ cup), peeled and chopped
• 1 medium carrot (about ½ cup), peeled and chopped
• 8 cups water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soup soy sauce, or salt to your taste)
• 2 sheets dried seaweed paper (gim, aka nori)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground

Instructions

1. Hold one edge of a sheet of gim and wave it over a low flame or electric burner. Keep it moving so it doesn’t burn. Turn the gim periodically to toast it evenly. If it catches fire, just blow it out and continue until the color changes and the gim is very crisp.
2. Put the toasted gim in a plastic bag and crush it into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Heat up a large pot over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil, garlic, and onion. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes until the onion turns slightly translucent.
4. Drain the rice and discard the water. Add the rice to the pot and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice turns a little translucent.
5. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute until it starts turning pink.
6. Add carrot and water.
7. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes over medium high heat. If it boils over while cooking, stir it a bit and crack the lid.
8. Turn the heat down to medium low. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
9. Stir the porridge, add the green onion, and slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs. Don’t stir, just cook for a minute until the egg is set.
10. Stir in the fish sauce (or soup soy sauce, or salt). Remove from the heat.
11. Ladle the porridge into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted, crushed gim and ground sesame seeds. Serve immediately.