Cheesy Cabbage Tteokbokki

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the eggs carefully and reduce the heat to gently simmer the eggs until soft-boiled, 7 minutes. Drain the eggs, leaving them in their pot, then gently shake the pot to crack their shells. Cover the cracked eggs with cold water to shock them, then let cool enough to touch. Once they are sufficiently cooled, peel the eggs directly in the water (they should peel easily); set aside.

2. Step 2

   In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, gochujang, soy sauce and garlic. Set aside.

3. Step 3

   In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, season generously with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the edges of the shallots are really brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the gochujang mixture and cook, stirring for a few seconds, just until the sauce loses its raw edge.

4. Step 4

   Stir in 1 cup cold tap water and add the tteok, making sure to separate them if stuck together. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook until the sauce thickens and the tteok are heated through but still chewy, 4 to 6 minutes. (Add a minute or two if using frozen rice cakes.)

5. Step 5

   To serve, scatter over the cheese, followed by the cabbage — a nice, crunchy blanket of it. Cover to let the cheese melt; the cabbage will steam slightly and lose some of its raw edge. Halve the soft-boiled eggs and arrange them over the crunchy, cheesy cabbage.