Spicy pork backbone stew with potatoes (Gamja-tang)

1. Soak the pork backbones in cold water for 2 hours to draw out the blood, then blanch in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly.

2. Put the bones in a clean pan with the 2.5 litres of water, the sliced ginger and the halved onion, and simmer gently for 1.5 hours, skimming, until the meat comes away easily from the bone.

3. Meanwhile, mix the doenjang, gochugaru, soy sauce, grated garlic and ground perilla seeds into a paste; blanch the Chinese cabbage in boiling water for 1 minute and chop it roughly.

4. Remove the onion and ginger, stir the spice paste into the broth, add the peeled, halved potatoes and the cabbage, and cook for another 25-30 minutes.

5. When the potatoes are tender, season with salt and top with roughly torn perilla leaves.

6. Serve in a large communal pot, with everyone helping themselves with rice; pick the meat off the bones with your fingers or chopsticks.

Tip: Gamja-tang is a favourite of Korea's late-night eateries. Ground perilla seeds give it its characteristic nutty, slightly earthy flavour – if you can't find them, use toasted ground sesame seeds, and basil instead of the perilla leaves.