15 Stock anchovies; heads and
- entrails removed
4 Diphori (dried large-eyed
- herring) -OR-
1 Korean seafood packet
1 Dried dashima piece
- (kombu) (1-1/2 x 6")
2 Portions fresh Korean
- knife-cut fresh noodles
8 oz Zucchini or Korean summer
- squash; cut into 1/8"
- thick half-moons
8 oz White potato; peeled and
- sliced into 1/8" thick
- half-moons
8 oz Yellow onion;
- sliced 1/2" thick
2 oz Carrot; julienned
3 cl Garlic; minced
3 tb Joseon ganjang (Korean
- soy-only soy sauce)
Sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sallions; thinly sliced,
- for garnish
Fresh red Korean chilies;
- sliced and roasted;
- for garnish
Gim (dried laver/nori);
- crushed, for garnish
It starts with an easy and flavorful broth made by simmering dried
anchovies, dried kelp (sold as dashima in Korean and kombu in
Japanese), and either some dried herring or an easy seafood flavor
packet available at Korean grocers. Then the solids are strained
out, and store-bought fresh noodles and a small handful of simple
vegetables like summer squash, potato, onion, and garlic are
simmered until tender.
The finished soup is warm and comforting, but it still has some
additional kick, thanks to your choice of toppings, including fresh
scallions, a showering of black pepper, spicy chilies, and crushed
dried seaweed.
If you want a little variation, you can use chicken stock in place
of the anchovy stock, or add some clams to the pot about halfway
through the noodle cooking time, which should be just long enough
for the clams to open up and release their briny liquid into the
broth.
Serve with a side of kimchi for a simple, hearty meal.
Why It Works:
Removing the heads and entrails from the anchovies ensures the soup
doesn't take on any bitter notes.
Rinsing the noodles before cooking removes excess starch, which
would otherwise cloud and thicken the broth too much.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine dried anchovies, herring (or
seafood packet), and dashima, with 2 quarts plus one cup cold water
(2 liters). Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to
maintain simmer. Cook until most of the flavor has been extracted
from the dried anchovies (taste one!), about 20 minutes. Strain
stock and discard solids. Return stock to pot and bring back to a
simmer.
Gently shake off any loose starch from the noodles. Place them in a
sieve and rinse gently under cold running water, without rubbing,
until the excess starch is rinsed off and the water runs clear.
Add the noodles, squash, potato, onion, carrot, and garlic to the
stock and simmer until vegetables are just tender and noodles are
cooked through, about 7 minutes; using chopsticks, gently tease the
noodles apart as they cook to ensure they don't clump. Stir in soy
sauce, then season further with salt to taste.
Transfer noodles to warmed bowls. Top with vegetables, then ladle in
broth. Garnish each bowl with freshly ground black pepper, if
desired, and scallions. Top with any other desired garnishes,
including sliced chilies and/or crushed seaweed. Serve right away.
Notes:
There are different kinds of Korean dried anchovies; the ones for
stock will be about as big as your thumb. If using a seafood packet,
look for ones that contain dried anchovy, shrimp, and kelp (some
dried radish and mushroom in the mix is fine, too).
Ready-made knife-cut noodles are long, white wheat noodles
pre-portioned into twisted bunches.
Joseon ganjang is made only from soybeans with no wheat as ones with
wheat will make the soup too sweet.
Make-Ahead and Storage - The soup is best eaten shortly after
cooking.
