danhobak dak jook {kabocha squash and chicken porridge}

i'm thoroughly impressed by how long a danhobak squash can hang out on a kitchen counter for without going bad. it's pretty impressive because i definitely was pushing the limit on this one.  i remember getting this squash back in february, so it's been like 4 months now. but hey - the squash was still in tact, had no bugs or mold, and i'm still alive!

i love jook (rice porridge in korean), and i firmly believe that it should also be enjoyed even when your stomach can actually process solid food. i say this because the only occasions my mom made jook was when someone in my family was really sick and all 6 of us were subjected to eating the same thing for dinner or when hudson was transitioning to solids and we always had some version of baby jook on the stove.  

using that danhobak squash and some rotisserie chicken i had on hand, i made a big batch of delicious and hearty jook, and enjoyed it for 4 days straight. this pot of jook however should not hang out in the open air for more than 1 day. plz move to the fridge asap or you will actually get sick - but hay, more reason for jook! jk, please please put it in the fridge. 

xo, christine

danhobak squash jook with rotisserie chicken

ingredients

roasted danhobak squash

1 small danhobak squash

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 tablespoon kosher salt

jook

2 cups cooked short grain white rice

7 cups water

1 cup loosely separated rotisserie chicken meat

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoon soy sauce

notes

1. roast the squash

• preheat oven to 400 degrees

• cut small squash into quarters, spoon out seeds and as much fibrous string as possible

• lay squash pieces facing up, massage in olive oil and sprinkle on kosher salt

• bake for around 30 minutes, when the squash is tender and the tips start to brown

• let the squash cool, carve the squash out of the skin using a spoon. the flesh should be soft enough to mash up with a fork.

2. cook the jook

• combine cooked white rice (NYT cooking btw has the the most handy instructions on how to cook rice here) and 5 cups of water to a pot and bring up to a medium heat and stir for 15 minutes. the rice should start breaking down at this point.

• add 2 cups of water, the mashed squash, rotisserie chicken, and salt, cover pot, and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (every 15 minutes).

• the jook is ready once it has an even consistency and the rice is broken down into a porridge. stir in sesame oil and soy sauce

• enjoy alone or serve with shredded roasted gim, garlic chips, scallions, or your favorite picklings like kimchi or in my case, soy braised spring onion!