Aromatic Dill & Scallion Sauce (Dallae Jang)
Mastering the Altoran Dill Sauce Recipe
This versatile sauce, made with fragrant wild chives (dallae), is absolutely delicious with freshly grilled seaweed (gim-gui)! It’s also the perfect seasoning for soybean sprout rice (kongnamul-bap). Elevate your meals with this delightful spring condiment.
Ingredients- Fresh wild chives (dallae) 60g
- Soy sauce 1/2 cup
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) 3 Tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds (ground) 3 Tbsp
- Fish sauce 1 Tbsp
- Minced garlic 1 Tbsp
- Water 3 Tbsp
- Oligosaccharide (or corn syrup) 2 Tbsp
- Red chili pepper 1/2 (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- Cheongyang chili pepper 1 (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- Scallions 3 stalks (finely chopped)
- Perilla oil 2 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Washing the wild chives (dallae) thoroughly is crucial because they can be quite earthy. Instead of washing them directly under running water, it’s best to soak them in clean water for about 5 minutes first. This allows the soil to loosen, making it much easier to clean them off.
Step 2
After soaking, rinse the dallae multiple times in fresh water to ensure all dirt is removed. Then, carefully use the back of a knife to peel away any rough outer skin from the bulbous white part. Also, remove any hard, dark core in the center of the bulb for a cleaner taste and texture.
Step 3
Gently crush the white bulbous part of the prepared dallae using the back of your knife. This helps to release their aromatic flavor and soften their texture, allowing them to meld beautifully into the sauce. Aim for a slightly chunky texture rather than a complete mash.
Step 4
Now, chop the dallae into bite-sized pieces. The ‘Altoran’ recipe suggests cutting them to about 0.5cm in length, but feel free to cut them slightly longer or even mince them finely, depending on your preference. For a pleasant texture, avoid chopping them too small.
Step 5
Finely chop the 3 scallion stalks and add them to the sauce mixture. If you don’t have scallions, you can substitute them with the white parts of a larger green onion. Be mindful that green onion has a stronger flavor, so you might want to use a little less or just the white parts.
Step 6
Cut the red chili pepper and Cheongyang chili pepper in half, remove the seeds, and then finely chop them. Removing the seeds will help control the spiciness while retaining the fresh pepper flavor. The red chili pepper adds color, and you can increase the amount of Cheongyang chili pepper if you enjoy more heat.
Step 7
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped dallae, scallions, and chili peppers. Add the soy sauce, gochugaru, ground sesame seeds, fish sauce, minced garlic, water, and oligosaccharide. Mix everything well to create the base sauce. Adding all ingredients except perilla oil first allows them to meld for a richer flavor.
Step 8
To maximize the fresh aroma and flavor of the dallae jang, drizzle in the 2 Tbsp of perilla oil just before serving or right before you plan to use it. Perilla oil is sensitive to heat, so adding it last ensures its delicate fragrance is preserved. Give it a final stir to combine.
Step 9
I enjoyed this sauce with homemade grilled seaweed (gim-gui), and it was perfectly seasoned – not too salty and wonderfully flavorful! It’s a fantastic accompaniment to rice or even as a topping for bibimbap.
Step 10
For comparison, I tried making half of the sauce with perilla oil and the other half with sesame oil. While it’s a matter of personal preference, my family agreed that the perilla oil version better highlighted the natural, subtle fragrance of the dallae. Feel free to experiment with your favorite oil!
Step 11
Enjoy a delicious meal with your family using this authentic Altoran-style dallae jang! This versatile sauce is the perfect solution to awaken your appetite, especially during the spring season.
